Vhe  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


.f' ; 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/heritageofhiroshOOamsd 


The  Moonlit  Saru  Hashi 
(Monkey  Bridge) 
”Long  my^erious  reaches 
fed  with  moonlight” 


THE  HERITAGE  sTHlROSHIGE 
^ A GLIMPSE  AT  ^ 
JAPANESE  LANDSCAPE  ART 

Bn  DORA  AMSDEN  • WITH  THE  ASSISTANCE 
OF  JOHN  STEWART  HARPER  • ILLUSTRATED 
WITH  PRINTS /rom  the  HARPER  COLLECTION 


PAUL  ELDER  AND  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS  • SAN  FRANCISCO 


Copyright  1912 
Paul  Elder  Company 


TO 

IRENE  CARPENTER  MERRIMAN 


INTRODUCTION 

a Preliminary  Note  to  this  little  book,  following 
remarks  of  Mr.  Mapper  prefacing  the  Catalogue  of 
his  Collection  of  Colour -‘Prints  by  HiroshigCy  best  inter- 
pret the  authors*  intention:  ”/n  collecting  the  Colour- 
prints  of  the  Ukiyo^ye  School,  the  work  of  Hiroshige 
early  attracted  the  interest  of  the  collector.  Finding  that  there  was 
more  or  less  uncertainty  regarding  his  work  that  of  two  of  his 
pupils,  who  used  the  same  brush  name,  it  was  decided  to  acquire 
everything  obtainable  bearing  his  signature,  in  the  hope  that  from 
numerous  examples  some  definite  knowledge  of  the  artist  might  be 
attained.  This  purpose,  kept  steadily  in  view  for  years,  was  attended 
with  unexpected  success.  By  comparing  thousands  of  prints,  and  by 
the  careful  scrutiny  of  every  character  and  seal  on  each  print,  im- 
portant data  Were  obtained  which  are  given  to  the  collectors  of  the 
World  for  their  information  with  the  hope  that  the  works  of  Hiroshige 
the  Great  will  receive  their  proper  recognition,  his  fame  be  enhanced 
and  that  he  may  be  given  a lasting  place  in  the  School  ofUkiyo-ye 
as  the  greatest  interpreter  of  Nature  in  all  her  moods.^ 

though  timorous  of  the  honour,  the  writer  undertook  the  task  of 
putting  into  shape  the  material  Mr.  Happer  had  collected  but  had 
not  time  to  arrange  for  publication.  Being  permitted  to  come  and 
go  at  will  in  the  old  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  at  Boston,  she  followed 
in  the  footsteps  of  Mr.  Okuk^ra  Kakuzo,  named  by  the  Nivedita 
T)ivekunanda  as  ”/n  some  sense  the  William  Morris  of  Japan,^^  who 
was  arranging  and  classifying  the  treasures  garnered  from  the 
Orient.  When  the  custodians  unrolled  the  masterpieces  of  Cho 
Densu  of  Motonobu  and  Okyo,  the  classic  painters  cast  a spell; 
the  walls  lined  with  screens  by  Koyetsu  and  Korin  were  a delight 
and  the  flowers  of  Sotatsu  strewed  the  path  of  Art. 

So  the  claim  for  Hiroshiges  genius  of  an  inalienable  birthright 
from  these  master  painters,  from  whom  alone  says  W.  von  Seidlitz 

[v] 


INTRODUCTION 

^the  exact  nature  of  Japanese  taste  can  he  studied^  ^ave  rise  to  our 
title,  The  Heritage  of  Hiroshige;  and  the  endeavour  is  to  give  in  con-- 
densedform  the  opinions  of  those  who,  liko  Mr.Okukura,  are  author- 
ities on  the  early  art  of  Japan.  The  Biographical  information  and 
Forewords  were  translated  for  Mr.  Happer  by  Japanese  scholars; 
copious  notes  and  important  details  TDere  supplied  by  him,  and  bis 
Seal  Discovery  determines  once  and  for  all  the  attribution  of  the 
prints  bearing  the  signature  of  Hiroshige. 

^Tokaidd^  Hiroshige,  magical  impressionist!  seizing  as  he  trav- 
elled Tvith  his  sketch-book,  in  storm  and  sunshine,  the  noted  scenes, 
aspects  and  humours  of  the  Qreat  Highway;  letting  bis  brush  play 
over  birds,  fishes  and  flowers,  with  dragon-fly  flashes  of  iridescence. 
He  ^with  the  simple  and  restricted  means  of  the  Japanese  colour- 
printer,^  says  Mr.  Arthur  Morrison,^ and  a direct  audacity  of  tech- 
nique surprising  to  analyze,  caused  the  natural  aspect  of  old  Japan 
to  live  before  our  eyes  forever.^ 

The  writer  here  acknowledges  her  indebtedness  to  the  authors 
included  in  the  Bibliography;  to  Mr.  Happer  for  his  illuminating 
correspondence;  to  Mr.  Elder,  and  to  Irene  Carpenter  Merriman, 
who  assembled  the  autho/s  collection  and,  living  in  the  Orient,  by 
her  discrimination  and  appreciation  of  Japanese  and  Chinese  art 
methods,  kept  her  friend  in  touch  with  the  magic  and  charm  of  ori- 
ental art.  Dora  Amsden. 


[vi] 


CONTENTS  • ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 


Introduction  v 

Nara,  the  Cradle  of  Japanese  Art  3 

The  Hieratic  Schools  of  Japanese  Painting 8 

The  Rival  Glories  of  Tosa  and  Kano  17 

Influences  That  Led  to  Colour-Printing  . . , . , 21 

Biographical  Notes  Upon  Hiroshige  ......  32 

Memorial  Portrait  of  Hiroshige— Mr.  J,  S.  Happer’s  Seal  Discovery  36 
Forewords  to  Some  of  Hiroshige’s  Books  .....  43 

Notes  Upon  the  Masterpieces  of  Hiroshige  . , . . . 57 


Appendix- 

Facsimiles  of  Hiroshige’s  Signatures,  and  Seals  of  Xwo  Noted  Pub- 
lishers of  Colour-Prints  .».«•«..  75 

The  Twelve  Zodiacal  Signs  Contained  in  the  Seal  Dates,  with  Three 

Examples  of  Cycle  Ciphers  and  Two  Hiroshige  Seals  , . 76-77 

Facsimiles  of  Signatures  of  the  Most  Noted  Artists  of  Ukiyo-ye  . 78-79 

Akitsu — A Note  Upon  the  Dragon-fly  ......  80 

Bibliography  . . . , 81 

Index  ............  83 

Illustrations  Foa,^Pcge 

The  Moonlit  Saru-Hashi  (Monkey  Bridge)  .....  Title 

Moonlight  and  Mist  at  Miyanokoshi  . . . . . . 10 

The  Sacred  Mountain,  Fuji-san 26 

The  Snow  Gorge — A View  of  the  Fuji  River  in  Winter  . . 30 

The  Memorial  Portrait  of  Ichiryusai  Hiroshige  ....  36 

Asakusa  Kinryusan,  with  the  Signature  of  Shigenobu  ...  38 

In  the  Shallows  of  the  Sea  ........  52 

The  Eagle.  From  the  "One  Hundred  Views  of  Yedo*  ...  54 

Midnight  at  Tsukudajima  ........  56 

Pilgrims  Gazing  at  the  Poisoned  Stream  near  the  Koya  Shrine  . 58 

The  Siesta— One  of  the  Kwa-Cho  Panels  . . . . . 60 

The  Combat  Between  Yoshitsune  and  Shirikawa  no  Tankai  . 62 

Evening  Snow  at  Kambara  ........  64 

Mariko— Meibutsu  Cha-ya  (Souvenir  Tea-House)  ...  66 

The  Woods  of  Sui  Shin  in  Cherry  Blossom  Season  ...  68 

The  Thunderstorm  at  Ohashi  Yudachi  . . . 70 


[vii] 


Vhe  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


>5SH5Bi?l??a!?0»^?l5S!aH3?€IS 

THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


NAPIA,  THE  CRADLE  OF 
JAPANESE  ART 

Hove  of  Nature,  inherent  and  profound,  gave  to 
Japan  her  national  religion,  nourished  her  patri- 
otism, and  was  the  quickening  source  of  all  her 
art.“The  spirit  continually  penetrated  by  Nature,** 
says  Michel  Revon,“ imitates  her  and  reproduces 
her  little  by  little.  It  deifies  her  benevolent  powers,  it  would 
retrace  the  image  of  her  beauty.’*  Therefore,  Religion  and 
Art  are  born  together. 

In  Nara,  the  ancient  capital  and  san<5luary  of  Shinto,  moss- 
grown  before  the  foundation  of  Kyoto  in  794,  arose  the 
national  art  The  glory  of  Nara  has  departed,  but  her  beauty 
remains  enhanced  by  time,  and  a peace  as  of  Nirvana  broods 
in  the  still  glades,  where  votive  lanterns,  time-worn  and  gray, 
seem  one  with  the  stones  scattered  beneath  the  trees -sacred 
vestiges  of  temples  and  pagodas.  The  gentle  deer  pause, 
gazing  questioningly  at  the  passing  pilgrim,  and  the  vibration 
of  the  temple  bells  steals  solemnly  across  the  plain. 

Yamato,  the  province  in  which  Nara  is  situated,  was  the 
scene  of  many  an  old  historical  romance  and  mythological 
legend.  Here  flourished  the  princes  Fire-Shine  and  Fire- 
Fade,  the  mysterious  ancestors  of  the  Mikados,  and  Yamato 
was  the  centre  of  the  story  of  the  gigantic  crow  and  mirac- 
ulous sword,  told  in  the  “Genji  Monogatari’*  and  immor- 
talized by  Hokusai  in  his  wonderful  surimono.  The  word 
signifies  “great  august  country’*  and  is  the  oldest  name  for 
Japan,  still  remaining  the  classic  and  poetic  title  of  the 
“Land  of  the  Rising  Sun,'* 

[31 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Corea  by  reason  of  her  proximity  became  the  Gateway 
Nara  the  ^^^"OUgh  which  Art  emanating  in  India  and  China  passed  to 
Cradle  of  Japan,  to  a nation  worthy  to  receive  the  sacred  vehicle,  and 
Japan^e  fostering  it  through  the  centuries,  won  for  itself  an  inalien- 
able, aesthetic  birthright. 

Yamato  was  the  fountain  of  art  and  the  cradle  of  free- 
dom, for  in  her  Bushido  (chivalry)  was  born:  and  as  the 
Grecian  phalanx  withstood  the  shock  of  battle  “For  Altar 
and  Home,”  so  faith  in  Yamato  Damashii,  the  spirit  of 
Japan- a sacred  flame  fed  by  mystic  lore,  by  love  of  country 
and  devotion  to  the  sacred  person  of  the  Mikado— inspired 
the  heart  of  the  Japanese,  making  him  invincible  in  war. 

The  symbol  of  Bushido  is  the  cherry  blossom,  and  as  its 
perfume  is  distilled,  filling  the  air  with  fragrance,  so  says 
Nitobe  “it  breathed  into  our  nostrils  the  breath  of  life-Kam- 
ato  Damashii!**  An  ancient  poem,  paraphrased  by  Sir  Edwin 
Arnold,  gives  thd  beautiful  significance  of  the  Sakura  (cherry 
bloom). 

" If  it  shall  happen  that  one 
Ask*d  the  Japanese  feeart 
How  may  we  know  it  apart? 

Point  where  the  cherry  blooms  wave 
Lightsome  and  bright,  and  brave. 

In  the  gold  of  the  morning  sun — 

There  is  the  Japanese  heart." 

Though  art  entered  Japan  through  Corea,  its  earliest 
remains  at  Nara  show  little  trace  of  Corean  influence.  The 
wall  paintings  at  Horiuji  are  grandly  conceived  and  sugge^ 
a resemblance  to  those  of  Ajunta  Cave  in  India,  though  they 
are  more  perfedt  in  detail.  Arties  from  India  flocked  to 
China  and  left  their  impression  in  the  cele^ial  soil,  and 
through  Corea  the  impulse  was  imparted  to  Japan. 

Among^  these  came  the  my^erious  Sakya-Mouni,  filled 
with  occult  power,  and  other  great  leaders  both  in  religion 
and  art  who  exerted  an  influence  far-reaching  and  profcund. 

[4] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Art  in  Japan  was  not  of  lowly  birth.  Her  cradle  was  in 
palaces  and  priests  and  princes  stood  as  her  sponsors,  as 
in  Europe  the  grandest  monuments  were  conceived  under 
the  inspiration  of  religion.  Thus  the  building  of  the  great 
temple  of  Saidaiji  in  Nara,  before  the  foundation  of  Kyoto, 
was  carried  through  on  a wave  of  religious  and  artistic  fer- 
vour. The  court  ladies,  we  are  told  by  Mr.  Okakura,  carried 
handfuls  of  clay  on  their  brocade  sleeves,  and  they  flung 
their  choicest  ornaments  of  gold  and  silver  into  the  molten 
sea,  stirred  by  the  hands  of  the  Empress  Koken,  which  was 
to  materialize  as  the  guardian  deity  of  the  sandtuary. 

The  priestly  hierarchy  reigned  supreme,  and  for  centuries 
dominated  the  art  of  Japan.  At  Nara,  life  was  devoted  to 
newly  introduced  Buddhism  and  to  its  service  was  conse- 
crated everything  that  made  living  beautiful  and  poetic. 

So  the  Graeco-Buddhist  art  of  India,  infiltrated  in  its  pas- 
sage through  China  with  her  technique,  principles  and 
forceful  conventions— the  fusion  of  the  majestic  brush  stroke 
of  the  Chinese  with  the  grace  and  delicacy  of  touch  of  a 
people  temperamentally  aesthetic- created  in  the  course  of 
centuries  the  national  art  of  Japan. 

As  in  Europe,  in  these  early  days  at  Nara,  landscape 
painting  was  a purely  subordinate  art,  introduced  inciden- 
tally as  the  background  to  portraiture,  or  as  an  accessory  in 
some  tableau  of  princely  ceremonial.  Yet  in  delicate  pre- 
cision of  technique  in  trees  and  rocks,  and  strange  convention 
of  clouds,  we  see  prefigured  the  later  development,  and  in 
the  early  paintings  where  landscape  was  as  yet  only  an 
episode  in  the  drama  of  pageantry,  or  the  half  mystic  envir- 
onment of  some  pictured  sage  or  seer,  the  discerning  student 
may  discover  buds  of  promise  that  later  were  to  flower  into 
majestic  beauty  under  the  brushes  of  the  artists  of  Tosa  and 
Kano,  of  Korin  and  Shijo  and  the  other  great  schools  of 
painting  in  Japan. 


Nara,  the 
Cradle  of 
Japanese 
Art 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

The  Chinese  and  Buddist  schools  of  art  dated  from  the 
Nara,  the  century,  and  in  Japan  the  Emperor  Heizei  founded  an 

Cradle  of  imperial  academy  at  Kyoto  in  808.  Religious  fervour,  glowing 
Japan^e  in  the  paintings  of  the  Buddhist  school,  restricted  the  motives 
^ of  its  masters,  but  the  Chinese  range  of  subject  was  unlimited, 
including  landscapes,  birds  and  flowers  conventionally 
painted  in  quiet  tones. 

At  Kyoto  the  ninth  century  was  made  glorious  by  Kose 
Kanaoka,  whose  genius  kindled  a living  flame  which  shriv- 
elled the  coldly  spiritual  art  of  priest-ridden  Nara.  Like 
Raphael  he  breathed  into  his  portraits  the  breath  of  life; 
his  touch  was  vital,  and  legends  tell  us  how  the  horses  of 
Kanaoka  leaped  from  their  kakemono  “for  thus  an  imagina- 
tive people  love  to  wreathe  with  imagery  the  altar  of  Fame. 

The  priestly  hierarchy  at  Nara  long  dominated  politics 
and  art  but  in  the  dawn  of  the  tenth  century  a revolt  set  in. 
The  princes  of  the  noble  house  of  Fujiwara,  which  had 
steadily  increased  in  power  since  the  seventh  century,  became 
the  patrons  of  art.  In  the  Fujiwara  period  the  national  style 
asserted  itself  and  the  school  of  Yamato,  founded  by  Moto- 
mitsu  in  the  eleventh  century,  was  the  outcome  of  the  move- 
ment which  lead  finally  to  the  foundation  of  Tosa,  the 
school  which,  with  its  august  rival  Kano,  dominated  for 
centuries  the  art  of  Japan. 

The  artists  of  the  school  of  Yamato  were  ignorant  of 
perspecftive.  Their  paintings  showed  weird  mountains  and 
castles  in  the  air,  the  spaces  filled  in  with  lines  of  mist. 
They  loved  to  travesty  humanity  and  these  quaint  burlesques, 
in  which  animals  and  insedts  take  the  parts  of  men  and 
women,  reveal  that  rollicking  humour,  which  is  a national 
trait“the  gift  of  laughter-loving  gods  to  their  joyous  votaries. 

National  art  with  the  Japanese  is  the  materialization  of 
faith.  The  religion  of  Buddha,  modified  to  meet  the  needs 
of  a sensitive  and  highly  imaginative  race,  became  the  pro- 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

f oundest  source  of  inspiration ; and  this  adaptation  of  an  alien 
faith  was  consummated  by  the  guardians  of  the  national 
religion,  who,  unable  to  resist  the  rush  of  Buddhistic  ten- 
dencies, wisely  temporized -this  perhaps  being  the  earliest 
manifestation  of  international  jiu-jutsu  (that  ingeniously  iron- 
ical system  which  utilizes  the  force  of  its  opponent  in  its 
own  defence). 

Through  the  medium  of  a ” mysterious  subtle  vehicle,” 
expounded  to  his  disciples  by  ^he  mystic  apostle  Kobo 
Daishi,  the  national  gods  became  reincarnated  in  the  Bud- 
dhist Pantheon,  the  alien  dodlrines  became  national,  and 
throughout  Japan  Buddha  reigned  supreme,  crowned  with 
the  lotus  blossom  of  Art. 

Reincarnation 

O Pearl  of  Faith!  thou  perfect  Lotus  bloom 

Rising  to  light  from  depths  of  slime  and  mire! 

Type  of  the  Soul— that  merged  in  sin  and  gloom  , 

Struggles  to  soar  from  higher  slopes  to  higher:  — 

Namu  Amida  Buddha. 

Pure  flower  of  Prayer,  whose  petals  dare  enthrone 
The  Buddha  and  the  Blest  who  sit  at  ease  . 

In  Paradise  — reaping  the  harvest  sown 

On  this  earth  journey— everlasting  peace:  — 

Namu  Amida  Buddha. 

Blossoms  that  never  more  shall  fade  or  fall 
Soul  of  the  Lotus!  Life  that  shall  endure. 

And  wing  its  flight  from  sphere  to  sphere,  till  all 
Is  lost  in  Love  and  Bliss  for  evermore : — 

Namu  Amida  Buddha. 


Narat,  the 
Cradle  of 
Japanese 
Art 


[7] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


THE  HIERATIC  SCHOOLS  OF 
JAPANESE  PAINTING 


(S' 


*HE  family  of  Fujiwara  furnished  the  drama  of 
Japanese  history  with  many  romantic  episodes. 
I A glamour  is  shed  over  this  period  and  through 
the  misty  veil  of  the  centuries  gleams  a vision  of 
fair  women,  for  from  the  famous  beauties  of 
Fujiwara  the  imperial  consorts  were  chosen,  and  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  exquisite  culture,  Beauty  and  Love  gave  birth  to 
Art  and  Song. 

Then  lived  the  poetess  Komachi,  the  Sappho  of  Japan, 
and  Murasaki  Shikibu,  whom  the  artists  still  love  to  depic5t 
as  she  sits  by  moonlight  in  the  temple  of  Ishi-yama-dera, 
which  overlooks  Lake  Biwa,  weaving  the  romance  of  the 
”Genji  Monogatari.”  In  this  romance  the  poetess  lovingly 
dwells  upon  the  charm  of  scenery,  and  landscape  painting 
as  an  independent  branch  of  art  is  magnified.  The  hero  of 
the  tale.  Prince  Genji,  rhapsodizes  over  the  beauty  of  the 
scenes  which  he  beholds  during  his  exile,  endeavouring  to 
reproduce  every  beautiful  spot  in  the  neighbourhood.  The 
early  lyrics  of  Greece  find  their  counterpart  in  these  classic 
tales,  and  like  the  Grecian  lyre,  the  plaintive  biwa  or  four- 
stringed lute  was  the  soul  of  Japanese  minstrelsy. 

A lovely  legend  of  the  Biwa  which  furnished  a subject 
for  the  painters  is  related  by  Mitford.  In  it  he  tells  how  the 
ghost  of  Tsunemasa,  a hero  of  the  twelfth  century,  plays 
' upon  a lute  named  the  ”Azure  Mountain.”  At  first  its  sounds 
are  taken  for  a falling  shower,  but  it  is  discovered  that  they 
proceed  from  the  enchanted  lute.  ”The  sound  of  the  first 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


and  second  strings  is  as  the  sound  of  gentle  rain  or  of  the 
wind  stirring  the  pine  trees,  and  the  sound  of  the  third  and 
fourth  strings  is  as  the  song  of  birds  and  pheasants  calling  Hieratic 
to  their  young.”  Schools  of 

The  tradition  of  the  schools  forced  the  artist  to  ignore  ^ntin^ 
nature-”  to  create  a world  of  frowning  rocks  and  Chinese 
pagodas ”-yet  a love  of  the  pic5luresque  is  innate  in  the  nation. 

When  peace  reigned  the  arts  flourished,  but,  alas,  these 
idyllic  periods  were  of  short  duration.  Fierce  feuds  and 
jealousies  led  to  constant  strife  between  the  great  rival  clans, 
and  art  was  tossed  hither  and  thither  on  the  shuttlecock  of 
power. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  twelfth  century  the  Mikado  was 
forced  into  perpetual  seclusion  in  Kyoto  and  became  a mere 
sanctified  puppet,  and  the  Shogunate  or  military  government 
was  established  by  Yoritomo,  leader  of  the  Minamato,  at  his 
new  capital  of  Kamakura. 

Art  at  Kamakura  acquired  a virile  force.  It  was  the 
apotheosis  of  war.  To  the  strains  of  the  biwa  the  minstrels 
sang  of  fierce  conflicts,  which  the  artists  illustrated  in  gory 
pictures.  Religion  and  art  were  tinged  with  blood,  and  the 
painters  seemed  inspired  with  the  imagery  of  Hell.  The 
votaries  of  war  crowded  the  temple  of  Hachiman,  the  war- 
rior god,  and  the  reign  of  gentle  Buddha  seemed  overthrown. 

A lovely  story  of  Arthurian  legend  survives,  and  seems 
to  glow  like  the  vision  of  the  Grail  through  the  carnage  and 
cruelty  of  five  centuries  of  strife.  In  it  we  are  told  of  a sa- 
cred emblem  only  revealed  to  the  pure  and  holy,  the  saintly 
initiate  who  could  recite  the  title  of  the  Scripture  of  the 
Lotus  Flower,  which  alone  could  take  away  the  sins  of  the 
world  and  grant  the  peace  of  Heaven.  Fearing  less  sacri- 
legious hands  should  profane  the  sacred  treasure,  the  lovely 
Empress,  bearing  it  in  her  arms,  plunged  into  the  waves  never 
to  reappear. 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Yet  the  glory  of  Kamakura,  grass-grown  to-day,  once  a 
^ vast  city,  and  the  arena  where  so  much  blood  was  spilled,  is 
Hieratic  bronze  figure  of  Dai-butsu.  Enthroned  upon  the  lotus. 
Schools  of  he  sits,  with  cryptic  glance,  cynical  yet  sweet  in  its  serenity, 
^Paimfn^  and  into  the  colossal  image,  by  some  mysterious  casting,  the 
fierce  passions  and  cruel  despotisms  of  the  centuries  seem 
welded  into  majestic  calm,  the  peace  of  Nirvana.  In  Egypt 
the  riddle  of  the  sphinx  remains  unsolved,  its  secret  lies  bur- 
ied in  the  sands  of  the  desert,  but  at  Kamakura  the  spirit  of 
the  Orient  is  revealed.  He  who  reverently  views  the  great 
Buddha,  or  climbs  the  hill  to  Hachiman’s  Temple  buried  in 
cryptomeria,  through  which  gleams  the  vermilion  shrine,  may 
realize  the  meaning  of  Shintoism.  In  that  ancient  place  in 
imagination  he  sees  re-embodied  the  dust  of  the  departed, 
the” generation  upon  generation  of  souls” and  in  fancy  he 
can  feel  the  ” thrilling  of  the  spirits.”  Kipling  realized  this 
when  he  sang: 

"And  whoso  will  from  pride  released 

Condemning  neither  creed  nor  priest 
May  feel  the  soul  of  all  the  East 
About  him  at  Kamakura." 

To  the  military  court  at  Kamakura,  and  that  of  the  veiled 
Mikado  at  Kyoto,  flocked  the  artists,  and  in  the  religious 
houses  they  took  refuge,  painting  on  silk,  kakemono  for  the 
temples,  and  working  in  bronze  and  lacquer,  gold  and  silver 
for  their  adornment 

At  Kyoto  the  k^ge  or  ancient  nobility,  dreading  the  usurp- 
ing power,  lived  in  seclusion  guarding  the  sacred  person  of 
the  Mikado.  The  early  landscapes  of  Tosa  refledled  this 
atmosphere,  seeming  to  breathe  an  air  of  sadness  and  resig- 
nation. We  see  wave-washed  rocks  and  islands  veiled  in 
clouds,  whilst  priests  and  sages  sit  wrapt  in  contemplation 
beside  rocks  and  waterfalls;  fairy  gardens  through  which 
streams  flow,  spanned  by  bridges  and  shrouded  in  pines  that 


p pi 

^ o a- 

r'L  fn 


Moonlight  ar 
Mi^  at  Miyanol 
Station 

Thirty-seven  oi 


% -■ / 

( 


4: 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

show  like  sentinels  through  the  sea  mists.  In  some  of  these 
we  see  a foreshadowing  of  Hiroshige’s  landscapes,  the  artist 
of  mist  and  rain.  Hieratic 

The  sch9ol  of  Tosa,  though  dominated  by  the^priests  and  Schools  of 
refledting  the  mystery  of  Shinto,  received  its  title  from  a tern-  f^nting^ 
poral  ruler,  the  painter  prince  Tsunetaka,  who  created  an 
artistic  centre.  Tosa  represented  the  taste  of  the  court  at 
Kyoto,  and  in  this  rarefied  atmosphere,  art  became  an  exquis- 
ite vehicle  of  sensuous  refinement.  The  vigour  of  China  was 
barely  discernible,  but  in  some  mysterious  way  the  occult 
methods  of  Asiatic  art  were  embalmed  in  the  art  of  Tosa. 

Intricate  designs,  brilliant  in  colouring  and  microscopic  in 
detail,  point  to  the  influence  of  Persia,  and  Byzantine  art  was 
refledted  in  the  use  of  water-colours.  The  Tosa  arti^s  worked 
with  fine  pointed  brushes  and  loved  to  use  resplendent  back- 
grounds of  gold  leaf,— molten  sunshine  glowing  upon  the 
flowers  that  sprung  beneath  the  artist’s  fingers,  so  delicate  in 
their  manipulation  that  in  a fretwork  of  leaves  on  a vine- 
clad  trunk,  the  brush  seems  scarcely  to  have  touched  the 
golden  surface,  or,  as  M.  de  Goncourt  says,  with  ”le  tenuite 
d'un  cheveu.” 

In  the  fourteenth  century  Kyoto  again  became  the  capi- 
tal and,  under  the  domination  of  the  family  of  Ashikaga, 
art  assumed  a new  aspedt.  An  era  of  costly  simplicity  was 
inaugurated.  The  artist  rulers  of  the  clan,  Yoshimitsu  and 
Yoshimasa,  fostered  art  in  every  form.  It  was  in  the  time  of 
Y oshimasa  that  the  stately  ceremony  of  Cha-no-^yu  was  intro- 
duced, the  name  which,  ostensibly  given  to  a gathering  of, 
aesthetic  connoisseurs  in  the  art  of  tea-drinking,  in  reality 
veiled  opportunities  for  political  reunions.  Here  met  the 
princely  amateurs  in  houses  whose  unadorned  timbers  were 
made  of  rare  incense  wood  brought  from  India,  and  this 
severe  simplicity  was  the  objedtive  symbol  of  the  trend  of 
thought  The  Zen  sedt  which  influenced  the  Sung  Dynasty 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

in  China  instilled  a new  conception  of  Life  and  Art  In  the 
endeavour  to  commune  with  Nature  and  to  realize  his  ideals 
Hieratic  in  her,  the  artist  began  to  express  himself  through  landscapes 
Schools  of  to  the  negledt  of  saints  and  seers.  The  subjecftive  religion 
Paimfng  Shinto,  which  ignored  the  use  of  symbolism  save  in  its 
profoundest  interpretation,  conformed  to  the  spirit  of  the 
age.  The  deity  was  conceived  as  being  interpreted  in  nature. 
In  communion  with  her,  the  human  soul  approached  the 
infinite  and  eternal  spirit  of  the  universe,  and  Art,  as  a Pen- 
tecostal flame,  lit  the  torch  of  genius  in  her  reverent  votaries. 
They  saw  "the  reflecStion  of  a tree  in  the  depths  of  the  human 
soul."  Prayer  was  subjedtive,  words  were  veils  to  thought 
and  the  suggestions  of  a landscape  held  more  infinities 
than  a finished  pic5ture.  The  spirit,  not  the  letter  of  the 
scene,  was  sought.  Thus  the  seeds  of  impressionism  that 
flowered  in  the  landscapes  of  Hiroshige  were  sown  in  these 
early  days  of  Ashikaga  art,  and  had  for  soil  the  ripe  philos- 
ophy of  Confucius  mingled  with  the  pure  doctrine  of  eso- 
teric Buddhism  grafted  on  to  Shinto. 

In  a Zen  monastery  at  Kyoto,  during  the  middle  of 
the  fifteenth  century,  lived  Josetsu,  the  exponent  of  that 
forceful  art  which  arose  during  the  Ming  Dynasty  in  China, 
a period  of  over  two  centuries  of  development.  Josetsu  has 
been  called  the  father  of  ink  painting  in  Japan.  Towards 
the  close  of  the  fourteenth  century  he  left  his  own  country, 
bringing  with  him  Chinese  traditions,  and  founded  a dynasty 
of  artists  whose  descendants  still  represent  the  most  illus- 
trious school  of  painting  in  Japan- that  of  Kano. 

Kano  has  ever  been  the  stronghold  of  classicism,  by 
which  is  meant  adherence  to  Chinese  methods,  models  and 
technique,  and  to  this  day  Chinese  masterpieces  still  occupy 
' the  highest  place  in  the  estimation  of  Japanese  connois- 
seurs. The  calligraphic  stroke  lay  at  the  root  of  the  tech- 
nique of  Kano,  and  to  the  art  of  writing,  the  Chinese  and 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Japanese  owe  their  consummate  handling  of  the  brush,  an 
artistic  inheritance -for  the  brush  from  being  their  earliest 
plaything  becomes  the  magic  wand  with  which  they  evoke  Hieratic 
at  will  scenes  from  nature  or  the  weird  creations  of  their  Schools  of 
oriental  imagination.  May  the  brush  of  the  Japanese  artist  j^ntin^ 
never  be  swayed  by  the  ruthless  breath  of  reform,  nor  a 
nation  barter  its  birthright,- a language  of  pi<5tures  in  solu- 
tion,—for  our  pra<5tical  yet  soulless  vehicle. 

The  art  of  Ashikaga  was  fortified  by  Josetsu,  and  its 
simplicity  heightened  by  his  love  of  monochrome. 

The  fifteenth  century  in  Japan  as  in  Europe  was  an  age 
of  revival  and  the  most  brilliant  in  history  from  the  stand- 
point of  Art.  Then  lived  Cho  Densu,  almost  contempora- 
neously with  Fra  Angelico,  and  to  these  aesthetic  monks, 
with  a world  between,  was  given  the  colour  vision,  a benison 
of  the  palette. 

In  the  translucent  draperies  of  Fra  Angelico’s  saints  and 
angels  appear  the  lovely  gradations  of  colour  that  inspired 
Cho  Densu,  and  through  him,  many  centuries  later,  the 
artists  of  Ukiyo-ye.  MourasakU  that  celestial  purple,  beloved 
of  Utamaro,  who  gave  its  name  to  his  studio ; beni,  the  spirit 
of  ashes  of  rose,  and  all  the  beautiful  shades  that  stirred  the 
colour  sense  of  Parisian  students  when  viewing  the  nishiki-^e 
(colour  prints)  were  revealed  first  to  the  devout  artist  monks 
of  Italy  and  Japan, 

To  them,  seeing,  as  Ruskin  says,  with  the  ”soul  of  the 
eye,”  colour  was  manifested-” sweet  light  and  stainless  col- 
our-the  necessary  signs,  real,  inevitable  and  visible,  of  the 
prevailing  presence  with  any  nation  or  in  any  house  of  the 
Light  that  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world.” 

After  the  death  of  Cho  Densu  early  in  the  century,  arose 
Mitsunobu,  whose  genius  revivified  the  school  of  Tosa  at 
Kyoto.  But  the  art  of  Tosa  was  overshadowed  by  the  splen- 
dour of  the  style  of  Sesshiu  who  learned  his  art  from  Shiu- 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

bun,  the  disciple  of  Josetsu.  He  it  was  who  astonished  the 
Emperor  of  China  and  his  court,  when  summoned  to  give 
Hieratic  an  exhibition  of  his  skill,  by  evoking  with  splashes  from  a 
Schools  of  broom  dipped  in  ink,  a monstrous  dragon,  a feat  of  masterly 
Pa^fng  l^ger-de-main  repeated  almost  three  centuries  later  by  Hoku- 
sai in  the  courtyard  of  the  great  temple  of  Uyeno,  where, 
before  a delighted  audience  of  his  countrymen,  he  created 
a colossal  figure  with  twirls  of  ink  from  his  inspired  brush. 
By  these  great  expositions  of  the  calligraphic  stroke  the  fame 
of  the  artists  will  be  handed  down  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration. ^ 

The  artist  who  gave  his  name  to  the  greatest  school  of 
painting  in  Japan  was  Kano  Masanobu.  His  son,  Motonobu, 
was  one  of  Japan’s  most  noted  painters  and  received  the 
honorary  title  of  ”Hogen,”  an  honorific  used  by  the  sacer- 
dotal class  in  which  painters  were  included  in  feudal  days 
and  which  means  expert. 

Although  the  calligraphic  stroke,  notably  exemplified  in 
the  art  of  Sesshiu,  distinguished  the  work  of  the  artists  of 
Kano  they  were  noted  not  only  for  vigour  and  rapidity  in 
execution  but  for  complexity  of  design  and  splendour  of 
colouring,  a later  development  grafted  on  to  Chinese  mon- 
otony of  monochrome.  Y et  the  true  genius  of  Motonobu  is 
shown  in  the  refinement  and  spirituality  of  his  art.  The 
magnetism  of  the  artist’s  personality  lives  through  the  cen- 
turies, a spiritual  efflorescence  of  art.  The  charm  of  his 
landscapes  is  not  in  brilliance  of  colouring,  for  they  approach 
monochrome,  but  in  incalculable  harmonies.  M.  Gonse  en- 
thustically  likens  him  to  Corot  in  his  landscapes  "noye  de 
lumiere  et  de  transparence.” 

In  a corner  of  the  old  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  in  Boston 
could  be  seen  a tender  masterpiece  of  the  great  Kano  artist. 
Across  the  hall,  almost  opposite,  hung  a large  canvas  by 
Dor6,  where  gigantic  lilies  tall  as  the  trees  bloom  in  an 

[14] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


enchanted  garden  amidst  masses  of  lovely  flowers.  A mys- 
terious cloud  palace  or  magical  mountain  rises  in  the  back- 
ground. It  is  a garden  of  dreams  but  its  charm  is  for  the 
senses.  There 

"The  scent  and  shadow  shed  about  me  make 
The  very  soul  in  all  my  senses  ache." 


The 
Hieratic 
Schools  of 
Japanese 
Painting 


To  turn  from  Dore  to  Motonobu  is  to  leave  an  earthly 
paradise  and  step  aboard  a barque  which  glides  into  the 
spirit  world.  The  ”Land  of  Heart’s  Desire”  it  is  named, 

yet  in  it  • 

"All  thoughts,  all  passions,  all  delights. 

Whatever  stirs  this  earthly  frame" 


is  absorbed  into  that  atmosphere  of  peace,  the  twilight  of 
the  Gods,  where  the  glamour  of  desire  can  never  penetrate. 

The  old  Kano  artist  breathes  a benedidtion  that  Dore 
cannot  bestow.  He  was  one  with  nature,  yet  his  art  was 
crippled  by  centuries  of  monastic  restraint.  It  is  art  ascetic— 
for  the  dead  and  not  the  living.  Nearly  a century  later  arose 
the  popular  school,  quickening  this  lifeless  art  of  the  mon- 
astery and  court  and  revealing  the  life  of  the  people-the 
jesting,  joyous,  pleasure-seeking  Japanese,  who  demanded 
to  see  their  Emperor,  veiled  to  them  for  centuries  in  his 
palace  at  Kyoto.  The  light  thus  cast  upon  the  everyday, 
vulgar  life  of  the  nation  hurt  the  eyes  of  the  formalist  aris- 
tocrats, and  to  this  day  many  of  them  shudder  at  the  daring 
attempts  of  the  masters  of  Ukiyo-ye  (the  floating  world  of 
joy,  beauty  and  desire),  despised  by  the  votaries  of  Buddha 
and  Confucius,  to  reproduce  through  the  medium  of  wooden 
blocks  the  variegated  life  of  the  city  and  that  of  the  simple 
peasantry  with  their  humble  avocations  and  industries. 

The  nishikr^e  sown  broadcast  were  the  seeds  which, 
fruc5tifying  in  the  heart  of  the  nation,  opened  into  fair  flow- 
ers of  progress,  wreathing  the  chain  of  art  which  linked 
Japan  with  other  nations. 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  H1R0S*H1GE 


Although  sacerdotal  asceticism  sapped  the  spontaneity 
of  the  early  painters,  art  in  Japan  as  in  Europe  owed  her 
Hieratic  advancement  to  religion.  The  greatest  masterpieces  were 
Schools  of  inspired  by  the  religious  fervour  of  the  priestly  painters.  In 
as  in  China  philosophy  and  faith  were  made  percep- 
tible in  art.  Thus  for  over  two  hundred  years  the  genius  of 
, the  followers  of  Katatshika,  a painter  in  the  thirteenth  cen- 

tury, was  consecrated  to  the  work  of  beautifying  the  temple 
near  Nara,  which  gave  its  name  to  the  art  of  Kasuga.  Later 
a painter  of  the  popular  school-emerging  from  exile  brought 
upon  himself  by  his  dangerous  love  of  satirical  caricature, 
which  had  prompted  a political  cartoon-spread  his  artist 
wings  in  gladness  at  his  restored  freedom  and  signed  his 
creations  *4tcho”  (butterfly),  so  giving  its  name  to  the  beau- 
tiful temple  of  Itcho-ji  near  Yedo  which  became  the  nucleus 
of  an  art  coterie  influencing  Yedo  painting  at  the  close  of 
the  severfteenth  century.  Gifted  children  of  Nature,  the 
divinest  teacher,  they  ^understood  the  mysterious  charm  of 
a landscape  of  the  seasons  and  flowers,  and  they  made  of 
this  divine  spe<itacle  the  great  feast  of  their  souls.’^ 


[16] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


THE  RIVAL  GLORIES  OF 
TOSA  AND  KANO 

OURING  the  military  rule  of  Hideyoshi,  the  august 
i Taiko-sama  who  solidified  the  empire,  and  that 
I of  his  successor,  lyeasu,  the  first  Shogun  of  the 
great  dynasty  of  Tokugawa,  who  won  the  battle 
of  Sekigahara,  the  most  decisive  battle  in  the 
history  of  Japan—a  Napoleon  who  knew  no  Waterloo— the 
Kano  school  reached  the  summit  of  its  glory.  Before  the 
bold  and  gorgeous  court  painter  Yeitoku  vanished  the  refine- 
ment of  Ashikaga  art,  and  the  ascetic  restraint  taught  by  the 
leaders  of  the  Zen  sedt,  whose  landscapes  were  more  sug- 
gestive than  real— ethereal  trees  and  dream  pagodas,  floating 
between  earth  and  heaven,  filmy  materializations  of  esoteric 
philosophy. 

Gorgeous  and  outspoken  colours,  bold  designs,  deep  reds 
and  golds  and  living  figures  filled  the  great  wall  spaces  in 
the  palaces  of  those  Soldiers  of  Fortune,  the  conquering 
Tokugawas.  The  movement  of  colour  effedted  by  the  paint- 
ers under  Y eitoku  influenced  the  national  art.  Tosa  refledted 
its  effulgence  and  a new  school  arose  which  led  to  the 
sumptuous  art  of  Korin,  the  great  artist  and  lacquerer. 
Koyetsu  headed  this  movement  and  towards  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century  Sotatsu,  the  flower  painter,  studied 
with  him,  their  work  rivalling  the  early  screens  of  Tosa. 
From  a background  of  gold  dulled  by  the  centuries  into  an 
incomparable  medium,  an  atmosphere  shot  with  sunbeams, 
glowing  coppery  through  the  mist,  flowers  are  flung  in 
endless  variety  and  purest  colouring. 

[17] 


the'heritage  of  hIroshige 


Here  a ravishing  ultramarine  or  bleu  foncee  of  convol- 
The  Rival  winds  as  a river  of  life  through  fields  of  blossoms. 

Glories  Sotatsu  loved  the  contrast  of  relief,  setting  embossed  flowers 
of  Tosa  in  pale  neutral  tints  amidst  the  blooming  parterre,  a capti- 
^ vating  caprice  of  art  that  so  often  delights  us  in  the  nishikt^ye, 
the  ^gauffrage^  or  dry  printing  which  enchanted  M.  de  Gon- 
court. 

To  study  the  evolution  of  the  schools  of  art  in  Japan  is 
a task  to  make  even  the  most  ardent  student  pause,  for 
every  artist  endeavoured  whilst  following  the  prescribed 
course  of  training  laid  down  by  his  master  to  stamp  his  own 
individuality  upon  his  work,  and  so  give  his  name  to  another 
school. 

In  endeavouring  to  epitomize,  the  schools  of  Tosa  and 
Kano  may  be  compared  to  two  streams  of  art,  gathering 
force  and  volume  through  the  centuries.  The  imperial 
school  founded  by  Heizei  was  the  source  of  Tosa,  given  its 
title  by  the  artist-prince  Tsunetaka,  and  fed  by  the  genius 
of  Kanaoka  at  Kyoto  and  the  art  of  Fujiwara.  Into  it  flowed 
the  still  waters  of  the  national  school  founded  by  Motomitsu 
in  the  eleventh  century  and  the  ascetic  art  of  Kasuga  Tem- 
ple at  Nara,  gaining  its  full  strength  under  Mitsunobu  in  the 
fifteenth  century.  The  Spirit  of  Ashikaga  Art  moved  upon 
the  face  of  the  waters  of  Kano,  whose  source  was  in  China. 
Fed  by  the  genius  of  Josetsu,  of  Masanobu  and  Motonobu, 
Kano  became  a mighty  torrent,  enriching  the  art  of  Tosa 
which  long  flowed  in  a sluggish  stream,  with  waves  of  glo- 
rious colour.  In  Korin  ”the  quintessence  of  Kano  and  Tosa”- 
”/e  plus  Japonais  du  /aponaw” -the  streams  united,  widening 
into  Ukiyo-ye,  the  river  of  life. 

The  tide  of  art  ebbed  and  flowed  through  the  centuries, 
the  golden  colouring  of  Fujiwara  eclipsing  ascetic  Nara  art, 
and  itself  shadowed  by  the  force  of  Sesshiu  and  Sesson,  and 
the  early  leaders  of  the  Kano  school  inspired  with  the  pure 

[18] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


idealism  of  Ashikaga  art.  Fujiwara  and  Tosa  were  later 
strengthened  and  vivified  by  the  force  of  Kano. 

Was  it  a jest  of  Kipling  with  the  unerring  pen  or  a trib- 
ute to  the  unity  of  stroke  of  the  masters  of  Kano  when  he 
said:  ”Two  or  three  hundred  years  ago  lived  a painter  man 
called  Kano.  Kano  R.  A.  had  rather  a large  job!** 

Percival  Lowell  in  that  prose  poem,**The  Soul  of  the  Far 
East,**  voices  the  subtle  psychological  influence  that  Bud- 
dhism apotheosized  in  Art  exerts  over  the  pilgrim  at  the 
shrines  of  the  Shoguns.  **As  you  gaze  amid  the  soul-satisfying 
repose  of  the  spot,  at  some  masterpiece  from  the  brush  of 
Motonobu,  you  find  yourself  wondering  in  a fanciful  kind  of 
way  whether  Buddhist  contemplation  is  not,  after  all,  only 
another  name  for  the  contemplation  of  the  beautiful,  since 
the  devotees  to  the  one  are  such  votaries  of  the  other.** 

Towards  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century  flourished 
Tanyu.  No  artist  has  been  more  frequently  copied  than  he, 
and  his  followers  in  the  endeavour  to  emulate  him,  forsook 
the  traditions  of  their  individual  schools. 

His  influence  consolidated  the  school  of  Kano  and  invig- 
orated the  national  art.  Upon  the  semi-transparent  fusuma 
or  sliding  partition  screens  of  some  great  temple  we  find 
the  stamp  of  the  magician’s  brush  or,  treading  reverently 
with  muffled  footsteps  upon  polished  lacquer,  come  across 
one  of  his  marvellous  landscapes  half-hidden  in  the  dusky 
corridor. 

The  shrines  of  the  Shoguns  are  the  greatest  monuments 
to  the  painters  and  devoted  artist-artisans  of  Japan,  yet  the 
lover  of  the  mystery  that  shrouds  Shinto  may  rather  feel 
it  at  Kyoto  where  the  Mikados  rest  beneath  simple  mounds, 
their  sacred  dust  mingling  with  mother  earth.  True  votaries 
wqpre  they  of  **The  Way  of  the  Gods;**  desiring  no  temples 
glowing  with  vermilion  and  gold.  In  the  calm  of  the  land- 
scape they  sleep  upon  the  breast  of  nature.  This  is  Shinto- 


The  Rival 
Glories 
of  Tosa 
and  Kano 


[19] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

the  merging  of  self  with  those  who  have  passed  away.  To 
others  may  come  this  vision  sought  by  Japanese  saints  and 
sages,  emperors  and  painter-priests.  Lewis  Carroll  prefig- 
ured it  when  he  interpreted  in  verse  the  mysterious  vision 
which  appeared  to  a friend: 

"I  see  the  shadows  falling, 

The  forms  of  old  recalling; 

Around  me  tread 
The  mighty  dead 
And  slowly  pass  away. 

For  here,  in  Dreamland’s  center. 

No  spoiler’s  hand  may  enter. 

These  visions  fair. 

This  radiance  rare 
Shall  never  pass  away.” 

Another  great  Kano  artist  was  Yeshinn,  whose  landscapes 
are  unique  and  powerful  in  style.  He  died  in  1 685,  three  years 
before  the  Genroku  period,  1 688-1  703~a  golden  era  of  peace 
in  \yhich  all  the  arts  flourished  under  the  fostering  care  of  the 
Tokugawa  Shoguns.  The  popular  school  was  in  its  incipiency. 
At  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  school  of  Tosa 
had  disowned  Iwasa  Matahei,  whose  genius  soared  above 
its  conventions.  He  and  Moronobu,  the  real  founder  of 
Ukiyo-ye  Ryu  (the  School  of  the  Floating  World)  realized 
the  aesthetic  charm  of  the  everyday  life  of  their  countrymen 
and  made  it  the  motive  of  their  art,  thus  adjuring  classicism. 

The  enthusiastic  joy  of  a people  with  an  instinc5tive  art 
craving  at  seeing  their  daily  life  thus  spiritually  rendered 
caused  Moronobu  and  his  followers  to  throw  off  hasty 
sketches  and  reprodudlions  of  paintings  termed  0/5U-i;e, 
which  were  received  with  enthusiasm  by  the  masses  and 
gradually  led  to  the  development  of  nishiki-ye,  or  brocade 
pic5tures,  now  known  to  the  world  as  Japanese  prints. 


The  Rival 
Glories 
of  Tosa 
and  Kano 


[20] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


INFLUENCES  THAT  LED  TO 
COLOUR-PRINTING 


QRINTING  had  long  before  originated  in  China, 
j and  through  Corea  had  reached  Japan,  but  had 
been  confined  to  the  service  of  religion.  To 
supply  the  ever-increasing  demand  for  pictures, 
‘ Moronobu  conceived  the  idea  of  using  the  form 
of  book  illustration  just  coming  into  vogue  to  set  forth  the 
life  of  the  people.  Besides  painting  and  illustrating  books, 
he  began  printing  single  sheets,  adding  to  the  printed  out- 
lines dashes  of  colour.  Gradually  schemes  of  colour  were 
developed  by  use  of  the  colour-block,  and  nearly  two  cen- 
turies after  the  revolt  of  Iwasa  Matahei,  Suzuki  Harunobu, 
about  the  year  1765,  focused  the  achievement  of  his  brother 
artists  of  Ukiyo-ye,  and  solved  the  problem  of  uniting  the 
skill  of  the  engraver  with  the  full  palette  of  the  painters  of 
his  school,  calling  himself  ^^YamatoYeishi^^  the  title  assigned 
to  the  great  court  painters. 

At  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century  many  forces 
were  at  work  to  enrich  and  influence  the  art  of  the  popular 
school.  Hanabusa  Itcho,  the  ” Butterfly,”  inspired  the  artists 
of  his  time^  notably  the  brothers  of  Moronobu,  seeming  to 
have  caught  upon  his  palette  colour  harmonies  from  the 
insec5ls  that  flitted  about  him  beguiling  the  weariness  of  his 
exile.  The  artists  of  Ukiyo-ye  embalmed  his  art  in  their 
n/5A/^/-J?e,“modulating  upon  the  theme  whose  rainbow  mo- 
tive in  the  wings  of  butterflies  and  bettles  and  the  darting 
Toyoakitsu  (dragon  fly),  one  of  the  names  given  to  the 
Empire,  stirred  the  colour  sense  of  Itcho. 


Influences 
That 
Led  to 
Colour- 
Printing 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  lilROslilGE 


Hie  old  brocades  of  Japan,  which  gave  the  name  nishiki-ye 
(brocade  pi<5tures)  to  the  colour-prints,  display  the  butterfly 
motive.  In  these  Moronobu  delighted,  being  originally  a 
weaver  of  tissues.  His  compositions  are  said  to  have  the 
plasticity  of  bas-reliefs,  yet  he  learnt  his  art  first  in  the 
looms  of  Kyoto. 

Korin  was  a contemporary  of  Itcho.  The  vigour  of  his 
style  delights  the  initiate  who  feels  the  occult  appeal  in 
archaic  design.  Of  late  the  style  of  Korin  has  been  freely 
translated  by  the  French  artists  who  understand  his  aim. 
C.  J.  Holmes  says  of  Kenzan,  the  brother  of  Korin,  whom 
he  terms  the  exponent  in  pottery  decoration  of  the  Korin 
school:  ”Like  his  brother  he  was  a true  impressionist,  who 
sought  in  decoration  for  elfecSts  beyond  mere  mechanical  de- 
tail of  form,  effe<5ts  resulting  from  contrast,  or  from  harmony 
of  colour  or  material,  from  balance  of  composition  and  distri- 
bution of  parts,  or  which  exhibited  power  and  freedom  of 
the  hand ; and,  above  all,  in  which  there  was  ever  present 
the  exalted  poetic  feeling  charac5teristic  of  the  master  Art- 
work of  Japan.” 

A modern  interpreter  of  the  school  in  quaint  Anglo- 
Japanese  didtion  says;  ”Its  charadteristic  distindtion  is  the 
elegant  and  exquisite  touch  of  lines  and  the  conventionalism 
in  most  sublime  simplicity,- plants,  birds  and  flowers  on 
land  and  water.” 

Set  in  the  glaze  of  a bowl  by  Kenzan  are  the  blurred 
branches  of  cryptomeria  we  so  often  see  in  a misty  landscape 
by  Hiroshige,  and  on  a tiny  lacquer  sake  cup  appear^s  a fairy 
vignette,  harmonious  in  colour  and  microscopic  in  detail, 
with  rocks  and  waves  and  cloud-capped  mountain  ranges 
of  golden  dust. 

Yedo  was  now  the  capital  of  the  Shoguns  who  encour- 
aged art  in  every  form.  To  Yedo  went  Moronobu  and 
Itcho,  and  there  the  school  of  Torii  flourished,  the  printers* 

[22] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


branch  of  Ukiyo-ye,  founded  By  Kiyonobu  in  1 7 1 0.  Enthu- 
siasm for  the  portraits  of  acftors  displayed  by  the  populace 
at  Yedo  hastened  the  development  of  colour  printing. 

The  theatre  though  frowned  upon  by  the  aristocracy  was 
adored  by  the  people,  and  the  school  of  Torii  became  the 
exponent  of  the  drama.  When  Danjuro,  one  of  the  first  of 
the  great  dynasty  of  acStors  who  took  this  name,  appeared 
in  the  veritable  coat  of  mail  worn  by  Kuranosuki,  the  chief 
of  the  Forty-seven  Ronin,  the  audience  went  wild  with  de- 
light, but  the  usurping  Shoguns  suppressed  the  feudal  drama 
of  devotion,  dreading  that  it  might  arouse  a popular  out- 
burst in  favour  of  the  secluded  Mikado.  The  portrait  of 
Danjuro  by  Kiyonobu  was  sold  for  five  cash  in  the  streets 
of  Yedo. 

Harunobu,  the  rightful  successor  to  the  printer,  Shige- 
naga,  his  master,  perfec5ting  the  art  of  xylography  about  1 765, 
discarded  the  Torii  tradition  by  rejedling  stage  motives. 

He  declared  himself  a national  painter,  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  Shunsui,  the  successor  to  Miyagawa  Choshun, 
from  whom  he  stole  exquisite  secrets  of  colouring.  Modesty 
and  delicacy  breathe  in  the  idealized  forms  of  Harunobu  s 
women,  charming  petite  figures  in  ravishing  draperies  framed 
in  charming  interiors  that  open  upon  fairy  gardens,  with 
vistas  of  snow-capped  mountains.  The  printers  of  Torii 
ignored  landscapes,  but  Harunobu  and  his  followers  de- 
lighted in  charming  backgrounds  aiding  the  development 
of  the  which,  under  the  brushes  of  Hokusai  and 

Hiroshige,  were  to  exert  so  potent  an  influence  upon  land- 
scape painting  in  Europe. 

A leader  for  the  a(5tor  designers  arose  in  the  person  of 
Shunsho,  the  pupil  of  Shunsui  and  sometime  master  of 
Hokusai.  By  adopting  the  tradition  of^the  Torii  painters  he 
bridged  the  chasm  that  threatened  the  unity  of  the  popular 
school,  changing  places  with  its  rightful  leader,  Harunobu. 

[23] 


Influences 
That 
Led  to 
Colour- 
Printing 


Influences 
That 
Led  to 
Colour- 
Printing 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

The  portraits  of  acftors  are  the  most  noted  masterpieces  of 
the  school  of  Shunsho. 

From  1765  to  1 780,  as  stated  in  ” Impressions  of  Ukiyo- 
ye,”  the  school  of  Ukiyo-ye  was  dominated  by  four  great 
artists  and  creators  of  styles:  Harunobu  succeeded  by  Kori- 
usai,  taking  for  motive  the  subjecfts  of  Shunsui,  the  painter; 
Shunsho,  leader  of  the  school  of  Katsukawa  (changed  by 
Shunsui  from  its  former  title  of  Miyagawa),  upon  whose 
shoulders  had  fallen  the  mantle  of  Torii;  Shigemasa  work- 
ing upon  Shunsho’s  lines,  but  breaking  into  a rival  academy, 
the  Kitao;  Toyoharu,  pupil  of  Torii  Toyonobu,  founder  of 
the  school  of  Utagawa,  whose  pupil  was  Toyokuni,  the 
brother  of  Toyohiro,  Hiroshige’s  master. 

Toyoharu,  founder  of  the  school  of  Utagawa  about  1772, 
developed  landscape  painting  in  the  medium  of  the  nishiki- 
l?e.  He  studied  landscapes  introduced  by  the  Dutch  and  in 
his  work  and  that  of  his  pupils  and  successors  the  Dutch 
influence  is  strongly  discernible,  notably  in  the  use  of  per- 
spective. His  pupil,  Toyohiro,  followed  him  and  Hiroshige, 
taking  the  last  half  of  his  master’s  name,  absorbed  the  tra- 
ditions of  the  school  and  glorified  it  by  his  genius.  The 
dramatic  force  of  Toyokuni,  the  brother  of  Toyohiro,  ob- 
scures his  love  of  nature.  His  ac5tor  scenes  fire  the  imagi- 
nation and  in  endeavouring  to  unravel  the  tragic  web  of 
the  dramas  illustrated  in  his  nishiki-^e  we  overlook  the 
exquisite  details  of  scenery  forming  the  backgrounds,  which 
are  also  seen  in  the  work  of  his  son,  Gosotei,  and  his  pupils, 
Kunisada  and  Kuniyoshi. 

Landscape  painting  as  an  independent  branch  of  art 
owed  its  development  in  part  to  the  people’s  growing  love 
of  travel.  The  returning  pilgrim  longed  to  impart  to  his 
friends  the  charm  of  the  scenes  he  had  visited  and  topo- 
graphical handbooks  printed  in  colour  were  the  very  things 
he  needed.  Viewing  these  pictured  scenes  of  their  own 

[24] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

country  awoke  a desire  throughout  the  nation  to  see  other 
lands  and  stirred  the  international  consciousness.  Every 
city  now  had  its  own  handbook- pi(5torial  descriptions  of 
noted  places.  F olding  books  opening  into  long  strips,  named 
Orihon,  from  the  praying  books,  folded  like  the  suppliant’s 
hands;  Shomotsu,  sewn  volumes;  Makimono  or  rolls;  ichimaUye^ 
single  sheet  pictures,  flooded  the  country.  The  ”Meisho  Dzu- 
ye”  or  illustrated  guide  books  indicated  all  the  beautiful 
places  throughout  the  land.  They  also  contained  records  of 
noteworthy  objecfts  preserved  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
scientific  notes  upon  the  flora  and  fauna,  with  hints  to  hus- 
bandmen and  merchants-in  fa<5t,  they  were  current  encyclo- 
pedias. 

The  influence  of  the  Dutch  was  not  confined  to  their 
little  colony  at  Nagasaki  but  affedted  the  whole  nation,  and 
to  them  was  due  in  great  degree  the  desire  to  disseminate 
universal  knowledge  through  the  medium  of  guide  books. 

Amongst  the  most  noted  of  these  books  were  the  ”Mi- 
yako  Meisho  Dzu-ye”  or  "Views  of  the  Western  Capital" 
(Kyoto)  by  Shun  Chosai,  in  1787.  Sukenobu,  a prolific  artist, 
brought  out  charming  views  at  Kyoto,  and  Settan  at  Yedo 
worked  in  the  same  field. 

At  Kyoto  towards  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century 
arose  another  great  school,  whose  destiny  was  bound  with 
the  art  of  Ukiyo-ye.  Then  lived  Okyo  who,  leading  his  dis- 
ciples to  Nature,  taught  them  to  follow  her  at  first  hand,  not 
through  the  medium  of  copy  books  prepared  by  dead  and 
gone  masters  in  tradition.  The  story  of  his  sleeping  boar 
has  furnished  the  theme  for  many  an  artist.  Imagining  a 
wild  boar  to  be  asleep  he  painted  it  with  perfedt  exactitude, 
when  a naturalist  student  upon  examining  the  pic5ture  af- 
firmed that  the  animal  was  dead,  which,  proving  to  be  the 
case,  enhanced  the  fame  of  the  master’s  unerring  brush.  In 
the  grand  painting  of  a fox,  treasured  in  the  Boston  Museum, 

[25] 


Influences 
That 
Led  to 
Colour- 
Pri^fing 


Influences 
That 
Led  to 
Colour- 
Printing 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Okyo  surpassed  all  animal  painters.  When  the  great  kake- 
mono-bordered in  exquisite  brocade  whose  shades  melt 
into  the  pi<5ture-is  unrolled  all  the  magic  and  mystery  of  the 
Orient  is  revealed,  and  we  are  ready  to  accept  the  Japanese 
belief  in  fox-possession- Kitsune^  the  cunning  and  treach- 
erous, assuming  the  form  of  a lovely  maiden  to  lure  and 
bewitch  mankind,  which  drives  the  votaries  of  Inari  (the  Fox- 
God)  to  propitiate  him  at  his  shrine  by  offerings  of  rice. 

Out  of  a background,  gray-white,  vast  and  mysterious, 
steals  the  apparition  of  the  fox  that  lived  a thousand  years, 
the  age  when  it  becomes  a celestial  being.  The  experience 
of  ten  centuries  lurks  in  his  crafty,  compelling  eyes  that 
bewitch  the  beholder.  The  genius  of  Okyo’s  brush  lives  in 
his  luxuriant  coat  of  silky  fur,  enervating  even  in  imagination 
to  the  touch,  and  the  swirl  of  his  mighty  brush  is  full  of 
majesty,  whilst  across  it  wave  two  or  three  reed-like  grasses, 
lines  of  contrast  rendering  the  colourless  masses  even  more 
spedtacular.  It  is  superstition  apotheosized. 

Maruyama  Okyo,  besides  being  the  greatest  naturalist, 
was  an  inspired  landscape  painter.  His  brush  paid  tribute 
to  the  art  of  China  in  its  majesty  and  force,  and  he  had  ab- 
sorbed the  style  of  Kano,  stud3ang  the  masterpieces  of  Tanyu 
and  Tsuenobu,  whose  works  have  served  as  models  for 
sincere  students  in  every  school.  Yet  a true  lover  of  nature, 
he  made  convention  his  servant;  and  the  art  of  Mauruyama, 
like  a breeze  from  Heaven,  dispersed  the  academic  mists 
which  veiled  the  genius  of  the  Kyoto  painters,  who  now 
began  to  design  birds,  flowers,  grass,  insedts,  quadrupeds 
and  fishes  from  nature.  To  his  disciples  he  bequeathed  his 
gifts-one  of  them,  Goshin, . originating  the  school  named 
Shijo,  after  the  street  in  which  the  master  lived.  The  cath- 
olic spirit  of  Okyo*s  art  is  seen  in  his  use  of  perspedtive, 
showing  that  like  Toyoharu  he  had  familiarized  himself 
with  the  Dutch  landscapes  scattered  through  the  Empire. 

[26] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Branches  of  cryptomeria  dense  and  mysterious  sweep 
the  foreground  of  a great  kakemono  by  Okyo;  flights  of  influences 
storks  melt  into  shadowy  distances,  where  the  sun  declines  That 
behind  Fuji,  through  ethereal  spaces  towering  upon  the 
horizon.  The  sacred  mountain  is  thus  apostrophized  by  pointing 
Yone  Noguchi: 

i * * * Matchless  Sight! 

O,  Sublimity!  O,  Beauty! 

The  thousand  rivers  carry  thy  sacred  image 
On  their  brows; 

All  the  mountains  raise  their  heads  unto  thee 
Like  the  flowing  tide. 

As  if  to  hear  thy  final  command. 

Behold  the  seas  surrounding  Japan 

Lose  their  hungry-toothed  song  and  wolfish  desire. 

Kissed  by  lullaby>humming  Repose, 

At  sight  of  thy  shadow 
As  one  in  a dream  of  poem. 

We  being  round  thee  forget  to  die; 

Death  is  sweet; 

Life  is  sweeter  than  death. 

We  are  mortals  and  also  Gods, 

Innocent  companions  of  thine, 

O,  eternal  Fuji." 

The  seducStive  charm  of  colour  printing,  now  fully  devel- 
oped, fired  the  genius  of  the  painters.  Kiyonaga,  the  classic 
regenerator  of  Torii,  designed  nishiktye  which  in  simplicity 
and  dignity  compare  with  the  panel  pictures  of  the  early 
Italian  masters,  the  delight  of  the  pre-Raphaelite  brother- 
hood. To  his  studio  flocked  the  artists,  forgetting  their  own 
tradition  in  the  mad  prediledtion  for  the  sweeping  curves 
of  Kiyonaga’s  brush.  Yeishi,  forsaking  academic  Kano, 
worked  there,  as  did  Utamaro  whose  genius  called  from 
M.  de  Goncourt  the  title  "Le  Fondaicur  de  L'Ecole  de  la  VieJ^ 
Kiyonaga  inspired  the  early  and  most  beautiful  designs  of 

[27]  ■ 


Influences 
That 
Led  to 
, Colour- 
Printing 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Utamaro,  and  he  in  his  turn  influenced  Yeizan,  Toyokuni 
and  Yeisepi  who  also  worked  with  Hiroshige. 

Space  forbids  any  attempt  to  set  forth  the  genius  of  the 
other  masters  of  Ukiyo-^e  or  to  analyze  the  charm  which 
so  profoundly  influenced  European  and  American  artists. 
Whistler,  the  first  devotee  to  Oriental  art,  ignoring  the  pro- 
test and  clamour  of  Philistinism,  learnt  from  the  Japanese. 

” Before  France  knew  there  was  such  an  island  called 
Japan  on  the  art  map,"  says  Arthur  Jerome  Eddy, "Whistler 
was  playing  with  the  blacks  and  grays  of  the  master  of  Madrid 
and  with  the  blues  and  silvery  whites  of  the  porcelains  of 
the  Orient."  And  it  was  Whistler,"the  American,  who  turned 
the  face  of  France  towards  the  East,  and  made  her  see  things 
in  line  and  colour  her  most  vagrant  fancy  had  never  before 
conceived."  Later  Manet  and  Monet  and  the  Barbizon 
school  submitted  their  colour  sense  to  Oriental  guidance, 
until  the  blue  of  Heaven,  seen  with  the  soul’s  eye,  trans- 
fused the  shadowy  spaces  of  gloom. 

The  adtual  process  of  wood-cutting  seems  a simple  art 
but  a close  study  of  the  making  of  prints  will  show  the 
consummate  skill  required  to  produce  them. 

The  artist’s  design  is  transferred  to  tracing  paper,  then 
pasted  face  down  on  the  finely  prepared  cherry-wood  block 
and  the  block-cutter  with  a sharp  knife  follows  the  lines 
and  with  gouges  and  chisels  hollows  out  the  intervening 
spaces,  using  so  much  skill  and  following  the  design  with 
such  fidelity  that  the  block  when  finished  is  a work  of  art. 

After  the  block  has  been  inked  the  sheet  of  dampened 
paper-prepared  from  the  bark  of  the  shrub,  Kozo,  diluted 
with  the  milk  of  rice  flour  and  a gummy  decodtion  extracted 
from  the  roots  of  the  hydrangea  and  hibiscus-is  laid  upon 
it.  The  back  of  the  paper  is  then  rubbed  with  a flat  pad 
covered  with  the  husk  of  bamboo  till  the  impression  is  uni- 
formly transferred.  The  artist  plans  his  colour-scheme,  using 

[28] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

separate  blocks  for  each  colour,  and  each  successive  im- 
pression is  registered  with  absolute  nicety  by  notches  in  the  influences 
lower  edge  of  the  block.  Every  colour  is  thus  transferred  That 
to  the  single  sheet,  and  the  final  impression  in  black  from  Led  to 
the  original  or  key-block  completes  the  proof.  Prii^ting 

The  colouring  matter  laid  upon  these  early  blocks  was 
extracted  by  mysterious  processes  from  sources  unknown  to 
the  Western  world  which,  alas,  by  supplying  the  Eastern 
market  with  cheap  pigments,  led  to  the  deterioration  of  art 
in  this  essential  particular. 

For  various  causes,  notably  a demand  for  the  bizarre  and 
fantastic  by  the  populace  of  Yedo  whose  thirst  for  realism 
had  vitiated  public  taste,  a degeneracy  in  art  set  in  at  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  school  of  Ukiyo- 
ye  seemed  sinking  into  oblivion  when  two  prophets  arose- 
Hokusai,  the  great  artist-artisan,  teaching  the  beauty  of  the 
gospel  of  work,  a Japanese  Ruskin;  Hiroshige,  who  turned 
the  people’s  eyes  from  the  mirk  of  cities  to  the  never  fading 
fields  of  landscape,  luring  with  his  compelling  brush  the 
spirit  of  the  atmosphere,  of  mist  and  sunshine,  snow  and  rain. 

Hokusai  and  Hiroshige  were  the  regenerators  of  the 
school  which,  through  the  national  stage  passion  long  held 
in  check  by  military  despots,  had  given  itself  up  to  theat- 
rical portraiture.  These  two  artists  led  their  aesthetically 
gifted  countrymen  into  the  pastures  of  landscape  art,  reveling 
in  colour  through  the  medium  of  the  block,  yet  retaining 
the  restraint  and  simplicity  of  the  old  masters,  the  force  of 
Sesshiu  and  the  luminous  tranquillity  of  Motonobu. 

They  rejecSted  academic  fetters,  but  the  spirit  of  the  old 
painter-priests  and  founders  of  schools  still  shed  a benedic- 
tion upon  these  humble  votaries  of  art.  The  aristocracy 
disowned  this  plebeian  outburst,  but  the  men  of  letters  and 
refined  amateurs  treasured  the  lovely  first  proofs  we  so  sel- 
dom come  across,  in  which  artist,  printer  and  engraver  had 


Influences 
That 
Led  to 
Colour- 
Printing 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Worked  in  eager  collaboration,  their  genius  almost  inter- 
changeable. These  treasures  were  reverently  passed  from 
hand  to  hand,  and  many  wrapped  in  silken  folds  were  laid 
away  in  lacquered  coffers  only  to  be  revealed  after  nearly 
half  a century  to  delighted  amateurs  and  colledtors  from 
abroad.  When  thus  carefully  treasured,  one  hundred  years 
may  pass  and  the  colours  remain  as  fresh  as  when  first 
struck  off  the  block. 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  technique  can  tell  us  of  the 
balance  and  proportion  displayed  in  these  n/sA/^i-j;e,  and 
how  "nofan,”  the  judicious  "spotting,"  enhances  the  value  of 
the  colours  employed.  Yet  the  charm  of  Hiroshige  appeals 
to  those  who  love  art  simply  and  sincerely,  like  children 
who  delight  in  trees  and  flowers  while  ignorant  of  their 
mysterious  processes. 

In  winter  scenes  Hiroshige  surpasses  all  other  painters. 
His  snow,  soft  and  luminous,  is  piled  upon  the  ridges  of 
temples  and  the  roofs  of  peasants*  huts.  With  such  sim- 
plicity yet  certainty  of  touch  he  has  attained  his  results  that 
we  can  see  the  outline  of  the  trees  beneath  their  white  bur- 
den and  feel  the  icy  chill  of  blue-black  rivulets,  half  frozen 
in  their  course  through  some  narrow  gorge  between  frown- 
ing cliffs  snow-covered.  Who  like  Hiroshige  can  summon 
the  spirit  of  the  mist,  calling  up  phantoms  of  trees  in  the 
humid  atmosphere?  Mornings  in  spring,  seized  at  that  inef- 
fable moment  when  the  beauty  of  dawning  life  is  at  its 
zenith,  when  we  know  that  a day  even  may  efface  the  magic 
of  evanescent  shades  in  budding  leaves  and  dewy  colours 
held  half  in  solution-the  hour,  which,"sent  from  beyond  the 
skies,"  gives  earth-bound  mortals  for  one  all-illuminating 
instant  a foretaste  of  the  Light  of  Paradise. 

Hiroshige  triumphed  over  the  limitations  of  his  medium 
with  arrangements  of  balanced  colour  that  suggest  light  and 
atmosphere,  and  by  infinite  skill  in  selection  he  revealed 

[30] 


K*'-*  . /■  ■ ■ “ ' 


.| 


I 


5 


_ 


m:C 


5 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

the  salient  features  of  the  scene,  making  it  all  felt  all  feel- 
ing. This  is  the  true  meaning  of  Impressionism.  The  painter 
forgetting  his  technique -the  mind  of  the  brush,  trained  in 
severe  restraint-spontaneously  reveals  the  spirit  of  what  he 
sees.  His  brush  is  his  servant  and  epitomizes  in  one  stroke 
centuries  of  scholastic  effort.  Therefore,  the  art  of  impres- 
sionism is  the  concrete  symbol  of  absolute  art  knowledge, 
and  the  disciplined  artist  alone  should  dare  to  break  the 
fundamental  laws  that  govern  art. 

The  master  of  design,  Hiroshige  is  also  the  **musician  of 
the  rainbow;”  colour  revealing  itself  to  the  eye  of  the  painter 
as  music  to  the  ear  of  the  musician.  The  souls  of  the  old 
masters  were  in  tune  with  celestial  harmonies,  the  rhythm 
of  the  universe  revealed  to  their  colour  sense.  Intervals  of 
the  same  chord  which,  vibrating  in  the  soul  of  Milton  (who, 
visually  blind,  perceived  spiritual  colour  harmonies),  were 
expressed  by  him  in  melodious  verse -divine  poesy,  one 
with  harmony,  colour  and  light- the  music  of  the  spheres. 
So  sang  the  seer: 

"Ring  out  ye  crystal  spheres. 

Once  bless  our  human  ears 
If  ye  have  power  to  touch  our  senses  so; 

And  let  your  silver  chime 
Move  in  melodious  time 
And  let  the  bass  of  Heaven*s  deep  organ  blow." 


Influences 
That 
Led  to 
Colour- 
Printing 


[31] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTES 
UPON  HIROSHIGE 


•true  biography  of  Hiroshige  is  difficult  to  obtain, 
for  few  details  of  the  lives  of  the  artists  of  Ukiyo- 
ye  have  been  preserved;  the  most  enlightening 
notes  on  Hiroshige,  from  the  Japanese  Biograph- 
•ical  Book,”Ukiyo-ye  Bi  Ko”  (notes  on  Ukiyo-ye), 
are  thus  translated: 

*'Hiroshige.  Surname,  Ando.  Given  name,  Tokutaro, 
then  Juyeimon,  then  Tokubei.  Nom  de  pinceau:  At  first,  Ichi 
yu  sai  Hiroshige,  then  Ichi  ryusai,  then  occasionally  Ryusai. 
He  belonged  to  a Samurai  family.  He  early  showed  decided 
talent.  In  the  eleventh  month  of  Bunkwa,  3 (1806),  when 
he  was  about  ten  years  old,  an  embassy  from  the  Riu  Kiu 
Islands  arrived  in  Yedo,  and  he  painted  the  procession  in 
such  a lifelike  manner,  with  such  good  colours,  that  it  was 
worthy  of  many  a more  well-known  artist.  He  then  defi- 
nitely decided  to  make  a profession  of  art,  and  one  Okajima 
Rinsai  befriended  him.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  first  sought 
instrudtion  and  applied  to  Toyokuni,  but  Toyokuni  had  so 
many  pupils  that  Hiroshige  was  refused. . Through  the  kind- 
ness of  a book-stall  keeper  he  was  received  into  the  studio 
of  Utagawai  Toyohiro.  Unfortunately  Toyohiro  died  soon 
after  this,  and  Hiroshige  decided  to  follow  his  native  talent 
and  have  no  other  teacher;  so,  taking  under  his  care  Toyo- 
kuma,  the  grandson  of  Toyohiro,  he  started  his  own  studio. 
At  that  time,  however,  Toyokuni’s  ac5tor  prints  and  figure 
pieces  generally  were  all  the  rage,  and  the  young  artist  had 
a hard  struggle  to  make  a living.  Fortunately  for  him  the 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

yearly  embassy  from  the  Bakafu  or  Shoguns  Government  to 
Kyoto,  to  present  a horse  to  the  Mikado,  occurred  soon  gjogyapKical 
after  this,  and  then  came  his  opportunity.  He  was  attached  Notes 
to  the  retinue  in  some  capacity,  and  going  and  coming  . 

along  the  Tokaido,  he  filled  his  sketchbook  with  the  studies 
of  that  wonderful  highway.”  (This  must  have  been  after 
Toyohiro’s  death,  therefore,  after  1828-1830).  “With  his 
Tokaido  pictures  and  his  peculiar  landscapes,  he  quickly 
gained  reputation  and  renown  for  his  studies,  so  much  so 
that  many  others  forsook  the  figure  school  and  imitated 
him.  It  is  recorded  that  he  was  very  fond  of  the  style  of 
poetry  called  Kioku,  short  stanzas,  so  that  among  his  friends 
he  was  nicknamed  *Tokaido  Uta  (poem)  shige,*  a double 
reference  to  his  pictures  of  the  Tokaido  and  to  his  skill  in 
poesy.  He  also  illustrated  many  poems.  At  one  time  he  lived 
in  Tokiwamachi,  afterwards  moving  to  Nakabashi  Kano 
Shionmichi  ni.  He  died  of  a virulent  (or  epidemic)  disease 
(probably  cholera).” 

The  notes  on  Hiroshige  in  Sekine’s  ”Honcho  Ukiyo-ye 
Jinden”  (”Biographical  Notes  of  Ukiyo-ye  Artists”)  agree  in 
most  particulars  with  the  ”Ukiyo-ye  Bi  Ko.” 

As  to  his  style  this  chronicler  remarks:  ”It  is  hard  to 
believe  that  he  studied  the  *Kano*  style  from  his  friend 
Okajima  Rinsai  (a  fellow  official),  although  this  is  stated  in 
the  book, *Zoho  Ukiyo-ye  ruiko.*  His  best  works  are:  *Toka- 
ido  Go  ju  san  tsugi,*  *Shokoku  Hiak’keiJ  *Yedo  Hiak’kei,* 
which  are  much  admired  among  his  other  illustrations; 
many  also  admire  the  So  Hitsu  Gwa  fuJ”  In  the  fourth 
month  of  Meiji,  15,  a number  of  his  followers  erec5ted  a 
monument  in  the  grounds  of  Akiha  shrine,  Mukojima,  To- 
kyo; Hiroshige,  the  Third,  writing  out  the  farewell  poem  of 
Hiroshige,  the  First,  for  engraving  on  the  monument. 

In  the  course  of  his  long  life  devoted  to  art,  the  versatile 
pEunter  adopted  several  styles  and  varied  his  signature,  as 

[33] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

did  Hokusai,  whose  changes  of  brush  title  perplex  the  stu- 
Mr  J S This  alteration  in  style  and  signature  gave  rise  to  the 

Mapper’s  supposition  that  two  or  more  artists  designed  the  prints 
Seal  signed  Hiroshige.  The  most  important  of  Hiroshige’s  fol- 
iscovery  whose  work  has  been  confounded  with  the  master’s, 

was  a pupil  who,  amongst  other  brush  names,  used  that  of 
Shigenobu,  adopting  also  at  times  his  master’s  cast-oflF  pre- 
nomen, Ichiyusai,  which  may  be  found  upon  the  great  artist’s 
early  ”Toto  Meisho”  series.  In  1 859,  the  year  after  Hiroshige’s  ^ 
death,  Shigenobu  signed  himself  Hiroshige  the  Second,  and 
during  that  year  dropping  the  Second,  gradually  assumed 
the  full  title,  Hiroshige  Ichiryusai. 

The  identification  of  the  great  master’s  work  has  been  a 
task  of  much  difficulty  and  perplexity  to  the  connoisseurs. 
Mr.  Happer  after  diligent  research,  however,  discovered  a 
clew  which,  hitherto  having  escaped  even  the  keen  eyes  of 
. his  Japanese  confreres,  leads  beyond  controversy  to  the 
right  attribution  of  the  prints  signed  Hiroshige.  This  impor- 
tant discovery  is  a date-seal~a  cipher  engraved  upon  the 
impressions -giving  the  adtual  year  of  their  publication. 

In  order  to  elucidate  the  discovery,  some  explanation  of 
the  Japanese  method  for  measuring  time  becomes  necessary, 
which  is  given  succinctly  as  follows:  Time  in  Japan  used 
to  be  measured  in  cycles  of  sixty  years.  Also  there  were 
Nengo  (year  periods)  of  arbitrary  length,  determined  gen- 
erally by  the  reign  of  a sovereign.  The  present  period, 
^Meijf  (Era  of  Enlightenment),  which  began  at  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Mikado  in  1 868,  is  an  example  of  an  arbitrary  year 
period.  Two  series  of  symbols  were  used  for  the  construction 
of  the  cycle-one  consisting  of  ten,  the  other  twelve  signs. 

The  ”Ten  Celestial  Stems,”  borrowed  from  Chinese  astrol- 
o^,  were  obtained  by  dividing  each  of  the  five  elements- 
Wood,  Fire,  Earth,  Metal,  Water— into  two  parts  termed, 
respectively,  ”Elder”  and  ” Younger”  Brother  (E.  and  To.). 

[34] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

The  latter  series,  with  which  we  have  to  do,  consisted  of 
the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac,  arranged  in  the  following 
order:  1,  A/e,  the  Rat.  2,  Ushi,  the  Bull.  3,  Tora^  the  Tiger. 
4,  U.  CUsagO,  the  Hare.  5,  Tatsu,  the  Dragon.  6,  M/,  the 
Serpent.  7,  Uma,  the  Horse.  8,  HitsujU  the  Ram.  9.  Sam, 
the  Monkey.  1 0,  Tori,  the  Cock.  1 I , Inu,  the  Dog.  1 2,  /., 
the  Boar. 

The  two  series,”Celestial  Stems”  and  Signs  of  the  Zodiac, 
being  allowed  to  run  on  together,  their  combination  pro- 
duces the  cycle  of  sixty  years,  as  sixty  is  the  first  number 
divisible  by  both  ten  and  twelve.  The  first  year  of  the  cycle 
is  Ki  (Wood),  no  E.  (Elder  Brother),  Ne  (Rat)-Wood,  Elder 
Brother,  Rat.  Thus  the  cycle  continues  until  the  sixtieth, 
Mizu  no  To.  / (Water,  Younger  Brother,  Boar),  is  reached, 
when  another  cycle  begins. 

Mr.  Happer  made  the  important  discovery  that  on  most 
of  the  prints  issued  between  probably  1 844~certainly  1 848- 
and  Meiji  (1868)  there  is  a small,  round  seal  which  gives 
the  zodiacal  signs  above  mentioned  to  designate  the  year 
and  a number  showing  the  month. 

The  Nengo  (year  periods),  which  establish  the  date  of  dis- 
covery, areKaei ( 1 848- 1 854)  and  Ansei (1854-1 860).  Ansei,  5, 
the  date  of  Hiroshige’s  death,  was  the  "Year  of  the 
Horse"  (1858).  Taking  this  year  as  a guide,  with  the  aid  of 
the  zodiacal  characSters,  it  is  easy  to  identify  the  dates  in  the 
cycle-cipher  within  the  seal  stamped  upon  the  prints.  Usu- 
ally these  seals  are  upon  the  margin  of  the  impressions,  and 
the  collector  should  avoid  cutting  off  any  portion  of  the 
margin  if  the  identifying  seals  are  placed  there. 


Mr.J.S. 

Happer*s 

Seal 

Discovery 


[35] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

MEMORIAL  PORTRAIT  OF 

HIROSHIGE  IBY  TOYOKUNI] 

XN  the  Happer  colledtion  is  a Memorial  Portrait  of 
Hiroshige  by  Kunisada  (Toyokuni)  with  an  in- 
scription giving  in  full  the  date  of  his  death,  the 
sixth  day  of  the  ninth  month  of  AnseuS  (Year of 
the  Horse,  1858),  and  also  the  seal  with  the  cycle- 
cipher  (Horse,  9),  thus  fully  establishing  the  seal  discovery. 
Upon  some  of  the  impressions  both  characfters  composing 
the  cycle-cipher  appear,  when  the  date  is  absolutely  proved, 
but  the  twelve  signs  given  above  are  commonly  used  alone. 

Inscription  on  the  Memorial  Portrait  of  Hiroshige:  ”Ryu- 
sai  Hiroshige  is  a distinguished  follower  of  Toyohiro,  who 
was  a fpllower  of  Toyoharu,  the  founder  of  the  Utagawa 
school.  At  the  present  time  Hiroshige,  Toyokuni  (Kunisada) 
and  Kuniyoshi  are  considered  the  three  great  masters  of 
Ukiyo-ye;  no  others  equal  them.  Hiroshige  was  especially 
noted  for  landscape.  In  the  Ansei  era,  1 854-59-from  Anset,  3 
(Year  of  the  Dragon,  1 856,)-appeared  the  *Meisho  Yedo 
Hiak’kei*  ('One  Hundred  Views  of  Yedo'),  which  vividly 
present  the  scenery  of  Yedo  to  the  multitude  of  admirers. 

”About  this  time  also  appeared  a magazine  entitled,  *Ki- 
oka  Yedo  Meisho  Dzu-ye*  (’Sonnets  of  Yedo  Scenes’),  a 
monthly,  illustrated  by  Hiroshige,  and  displaying  his  won- 
derful skill  with  the  brush  to  the  admiration  of  the  world. 
He  passed  away  to  the  world  beyond  on  the  sixth  day  of 
the  ninth  month  of  the  year  1 858,  at  the  ripe  age  of  sixty- 
two  (sixty-one  by  our  count).  He  left  behind  him  a last 
testament  or  farewell  sonnet:  ^Azuma  ]i  nifude  wo  no-koshite 

[36] 


The  Memorial  Portrait 
of  Ichiryusai  Hiroshige  in 
prie^ly  garb,  showing 
the  Diamond  Seal  upon 
the  gauze  of  his  outer 
garment.  Over  Toyokuni’s 
signature  are  the  words. 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

tahi  no  sora:  Nishi  no  mi  k^ni  no  meisho  wo  mimu)  (^Dropping 
the  brush  at  Azuma  (Eastern  capital)  I go  the  long  journey  j^gmorial 
to  the  Western  Country  (Buddhist  Heaven  is  in  the  West),  Portrait  of 
to  view  the  wonderful  sceneries  there;  perchance  to  limri  Hiroshige  by 
them  too*).  This  by  Temmei  Rojin,  PicSture  by  ToyokuniJ* 

Date:  Year  of  the  Horse,  ninth  month  (1858,  ninth 
month). 

The  inscription  on  the  Memorial  Portrait  of  Hiroshige 
thus  establishes  some  important  biographical  fadts  with 
regard  to  the  artist.  It  gives  us  his  age,  the  date  of  his  death, 
and  shows  that  in  his  later  years  he  often  signed  ”Ryusai,** 
dropping  occasionally  the  more  formal  ”Ichiryusai.” 

It  also  proves  that  the  ”Meisho  Yedo  Hiak’kei,”  the  ver- 
tical set  of  Yedo  views,  so  often  ascribed  to  his  pupils,  were 
by  the  master;  the  preface  to  the  original  edition  of  this  work 
confirming  the  attribution.  His  love  of  poetry  and  probable 
skill  in  writing  sonnets  are  confirmed  by  the  mention  of  the 
”Kioka  Yedo  Meisho  Dzu-ye.” 

The  date  theory  as  propounded  by  Mr.  Happer  receives 
in  this  inscription  absolute  confirmation.  Ansei,  5,  was  the 
"Year  of  the  Horse,"  according  to  the  Japanese  cycle,  and 
on  the  portrait  is  "Horse,  9,"  which  means  the  Year  of  the 
Horse,  ninth  month,  corresponding  with  Odtober,  1858. 

There  are  many  proofs  of  the  seal  theory  but  this  is  a most 
important  and  striking  one.  The  Fifties  are  the  debatable 
years,  during  which  it  is  most  difficult  to  determine  the 
work  of  Hiroshige,  but  since  we  know  his  death  date  to  be 
Ansei,  5 (Year  of  the  Horse),  ninth  month,  1858,  then  we 
may  exclude  every  print  issued  after  that  date.  An  impor- 
tant point,  however,  must  be  taken  into  consideration.  The 
zodiacal  characters  appear  every  twelve  years,  hence  we 
must  fall  back  upon  the  work  for  a final  judgment.  There 
is  little  difficulty  in  determining  this  question  however,  as, 
for  example,  a work  by  Hiroshige  printed  in  1845  differs 

[37] 


Memorial 
Portrait  of 
Hiroshige  by 
Toyokuni 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

essentially  in  style  from  one  of  twelve  years  later.  (Note  the 
"Tama  River"  example  with  seal-date,  certainly  1845). 

When  a date  is  written  out,  as  in  the  inscription  upon 
the  memorial  portrait,  and  the  seal  agrees  the  proof  of  the 
date  discovery  is  positive.  The  writer  of  the  preface  to 
the  vertical  views  of  Fuji,  dated  1859,  declares  them  to  be 
the  finaJ  work  of  Hiroshige.  The  plates  have  a date  seal, 
"Horse"  (1858),  and  the  preface  sheet  has  on  the  margin  its 
date  seal,  1 859. 

Not  only  does  the  seal  give  positive  information  but  its 
absence,  in  conjundtion  with  other  confirmatory  evidence, 
suggests  a period  prior  certainly  to  1 848.  (The  vertical  style 
came  into  vogue  about  1850),  Hiroshige,  the  First,  was, 
therefore,  the  artist  who  worked  on  up  to  the  ninth  month 
of  1 858.  It  is  stated  in  the  biographical  notes  that  Toyohiro 
died  soon  after  Hiroshige  entered  his  studio,  and  most  of 
the  books  give  the  date  of  his  death  as  1 828,  but  in  two  as 
1812.  If  the  latter  date  be  corredt  we  may  antedate  Hiro- 
shige's work  sixteen  years,  giving  him  thirty-seven  years  of 
adtivity,  during  which  long  period  he  naturally  varied  his 
style  and  treatment. 

An  argument  based  on  the  signature  alone  must  fall  to  the 
ground.  In  a set  like  the  celebrated  Tokaido,  as  great  varia- 
tions in  the  form  of  the  signature  can  be  found  as  are  exem- 
plified by  some  critics  in  proof  of  the  ascription  of  work  to 
Hiroshige,  the  Second.  Again,  in  large  sets,  for  example  the 
"Roku-ju  Yoshu,"  there  were  five  different  engravers  em- 
ployed and,  when  to  variations  in  calligraphy  due  to  mood 
or  nervous  tension  or  haste  you  add  the  fadtor  of  varying 
engravers,  the  proof  afforded  by  a signature  is  of  the  slen- 
derest charadler  and  can  only  be  adduced  as  a last  resort. 

The  conjedture  may  be  hazarded  that,  as  his  early  treat- 
ment was  more  natural  and  spontaneous  than  his  middle 
period,  the  study  of  perspedtive  may  have  cramped  his 

[38] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Style.  The  conclusion  is  that  there  is  only  one  Hiroshige 
the  Great,  and  all  work  bearing  his  signature  dated  up  to 
the  ninth  month-^ nser,  5-is  his,  save  in  large  sets  like  the 
"Yedo  Meisho  Hiak’kei,”  when  Hiroshige,  the  Second,  may 
have  collaborated,  as  Hokusai’s  pupils  collaborated  with 
"Man-gwa.” 

From  the  date  seals  it  is  certain  that  all  the  vertical  sets 
of  importance  are  by  Hiroshige,  the  First,  and  as  his  draw- 
ings were  doubtless  completed  some  time  before  his  death, 
the  date  of  publication  being  later  does  not  interfere  with  their 
authenticity.  The  unevenness  of  many  of  these  sets  is  due 
greatly  to  the  engraver,  as,  for  instance,  the  beach  at  Maiko 
in  the  "Sixty  Provinces,"  which  is  by  a master  engraver  who 
only  engraved  two  or  three  other  plates  in  that  set. 

Of  the  many  triptychs  designed  in  collaboration  with 
Kunisada,  many  are  by  the  old  master  as  the  date  shows, 
but  when  Kunisada  adds  his  year  (’70-’77)  they  are  usually 
the  work  of  Hiroshige,  the  Second.  The  student  may  by 
examining  the  seal  characters  on  his  prints  differentiate  the 
artists.  The  archaic  characters  in  the  seal  forms  are  those 
most  commonly  met  with. 

Shigenobu  closely  followed  the  master’s  style  and  during 
the  Forties,  or  at  least  some  period  prior  to  the  seal-date 
period,  used  Hiroshige’s  abandoned  prenomen,”Ichiyusai,” 
which  was  used  by  Hiroshige  in  his  very  early  days;  for 
instance,  on  the  early  set  of  **Yedo  Meisho,”  whose  notable 
characteristic  is  the  red  cloud  dominating  the  sky,  and  on 
two  or  three  other  sets,  but  which  was  abandoned  by  him 
certainly  before  the  issue  of  his  celebrated  Tokaido  set. 

Ichiyusai  Shigenobu  is  the  long-sought-for  Hiroshige,  the 
Second.  We  find  many  bird  and  flower  panels  signed  Shi- 
genobu which  distinctly  recall  his  master’s  style,  and  on 
one  plate  in  a set  of  ”Yedo  Meisho”  (a  view  of  Asakusa 
Kinryu  san,  given  here)  is  the  full  signature:  Shigenobu  Ara- 

[39] 


Memorial 
Portrait  of 
Hiroshige  by 
Toyokuni 


Memorial 
Portrait  of 
Hiroshige  by 
Toyokuni 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

tamete  ni  set  Hiroshige  gvi>af  that  is,  **Shigenobu;  change  the 
name  to  Second  Hiroshige.”  This  particular  sheet  is  dated 
1 859,  second  month;  that  is,  within  five  months  of  the  death 
of  Hiroshige.  With  this  important  link,  looking  back  over 
the  work  we  find  in  the  years  prior  to  the  date  period,  say 
before  1842-1844,  some  figure  sketches  signed  Ichiyusai 
Shigenobu. 

Next  we  find  a set  of  the  ”Yedo  Meisho  Hiak’kei,”  figure 
and  landscape,  signed  Shigenobu  without  the  prenomen, 
and  ipany  others,  but  coming  to  the  dated  years  one  exam- 
ple will  suffice,  and  that  is  a set  of  ”Yedo  Meisho”  published 
by  Yamaguchi,  with  the  date  1858,  eleventh  month,  which 
shows  that  up  to  that  time,  two  months  after  the  death  of 
the  master,  the  pupil  had  not  taken  the  formal  title.  The 
missing-link  sheet  shows  that  in  the  second  month  of  1 859 
he  signed  the  transition  signature  and  in  the  same  month 
we  have  a set  of  ”Omi  Hakkei,”  lateral,  where  "Nisei  Hiro- 
shige" (the  Second  Hiroshige)  appears  alone. 

By  careful  study  of  seals  the  student  who  desires  to  pur- 
sue this  subjecSt  further  can  accurately  catalogue  the  work 
of  the  Second  Hiroshige  by  ascribing  to  him  every  print 
dated  between  the  second  month  of  1859  and  some  time 
in  1865,  when  a third  Hiroshige  appeared  on  the  scene 
whose  work  is  so  positively  banal  and  unmistakably  rec- 
ognizable by  wretched  analine  colouring  that,  so  far  as  any 
artistic  merit  is  concerned,  we  do  not  care  to  recognize  his 
right  to  the  honoured  name. 

To  find  the  names  of  Hiroshige’s  publisher,  engraver 
and  printer  is  sometimes  like  playing  at  hide-and-seek,  for 
the  artist  seems  to  have  enjoyed  concealing  them  in  the 
most  ingenious  and  unexpected  places.  In  the  print,  Goyu, 
Station  Thirty,  on  the  Tokaido,  may  be  discovered  the 
names  of  the  engraver,  printer  and  artist’s  title  (Ichiryusai) 
on  the  boards  hanging  in  front  of  the  tea-house,  usuaJly 

[40] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

inscribed  with  advertisements,  beneath  which  the  footsore 
pilgrim  is  taking  a refreshing  bath.  The  publisher’s  name  is 
half  hidden  in  the  large,  white  circle  by  the  post  near  which 
a nesan  or  house-servant,  with  elbows  on  the  sill,  uncon- 
cernedly rests  her  head  upon  her  hands  watching  the 
scrimmage  in  the  street,  where  two  buxom  tea-house  em- 
ployees are  struggling  to  secure  by  main  force  guests  for 
their  rival  establishments. 

The  lack  of  information  with  regard  to  the  engravers  of 
the  nishiki-^e  is  unfortunate,  for  we  would  dearly  like  to  know 
more  about  the  personality  of  these  rare  artist-artisans,  upon 
whose  accuracy  and  sincerity  in  carrying  out  the  artists* 
schemes  depended  the  ultimate  perfedtion  of  the  work. 
Many  of  the  artists  were  also  expert  engravers,  Hokusai,  for 
example,  who  jealously  superintended  the  engraving  of  his 
designs  pasted  upon  the  wooden  block.  In  the  print  just 
noticed  the  engraver’s  name  is  given  upon  the  bill-board, 
and  beneath  the  signature  of  Hiroshige  in  a red  seal  is  the 
publisher’s  given  name,  Takeuchi.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
here  that  in  the  Tokugawa  period  the  heimin  or  ordinary 
people  had  no  surnames.  Hence,  for  euphony’s  sake,  for 
luck  or  for  identification  some  high-sounding  firm  name  was 
adopted.  Thus  Ho-yei-do  is  the  trade  name  of  Mr.  Take- 
uchi ; do  meaning  hall  or  fane-a  more  grandiloquent  title  than 
place,  house  or  shop.  As  the  Japanese  despise  uniformity 
and  love  playing  upon  words,  they  delighted  to  vary  these 
stamps,  ringing  the  changes  on  cryptic  characters,  abbrevia- 
tions, monograms,  et  cetera.  Ta^e-ucfi/  means  "bamboo 
within;”  hence  the  monogram  Take,  within  a circle. 

There  are  plates  with  Ho-yei-do  han-from  han,  an  en- 
graved block  or  plate,  here  equivalent  to  the  publisher  or 
owner  of  the  plates.  Han-^a  means  the  place  where  the 
blocks  were  produced,  paid  for  and  owned,  or  the  person 
who  undertook  the  publication;  therefore,  the  publisher  in 

[41] 


Memorial 
Portrait  of 
Hiroshige  by 
Toyokuni 


Memorial 
Portrait  of 
Hiroshige  by 
Toyokuni 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

most  cases  is  the  corredt  translation.  There  is,  therefore, 
first  the  han-^a  or  publisher,  next  the  horu^a  or  engraver 
(sometimes' designated  cutter),  thirdly  the  the  printer 

or  rubber  {han  wo  sum  meaning  to  print  on  a block),  and 
lastly  the  artist,  usually  designated  fude^  also  pronounced 
hitsu  (brush)  and  groa  (pidture).  The  term  fude  seems  to  have 
been  applied  to  comparatively  simple  work;  when  the  com- 
position was  more  or  less  complex  and  pretentious,  then  gwa 
was  used.  The  modesty  of  a great  painter  often  prompted 
him  to  sign  his  masterpieces  fude. 

The  statements  here  given  with  reference  to  date,  seals, 
et  cetera,  are  supported  by  documentary  evidence-the 
three  thousand  prints  by  Hiroshige  in  the  Happer  Colledtion 
besides  many  others  from  which  he  adduced  these  fadts. 


[42] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


FOREWORDS  TO  SOME  OF 
HIROSHIGE’S  BOOKS 

Q Study  of  the  forewords  to  the  illustrated  books 
and  sets  of  impressions  is  almost,  indispensable 
to  the  student  of  nishiki-ye,  for  they  explain  the 
master’s  methods  and  intentions,  casting  many 
biographical  sidelights  eagerly  sought  for,  as  no 
precise  biographies  of  the  artists  are  to  be  found.  The  pref- 
aces to  a few  of  Hiroshige’s  most  important  works  are  given 
here  in  the  order  of  their  publication. 

In  1851  two  small  volumes  appeared  entitled,  Tokaido 
Fukei  Dzu^ye  (^Scenes  on  the  Tokaido,”  or,  to  translate  freely, 
^Sketches  of  Life  and  Scenes  on  the  Tokaido”).  This  work 
might  be  called  a reproducStion  of  his  sketch-book,  filled 
with  rapid  outline  studies  jotted  down  from  life,  forming 
the  basis  of  his  full  coloured  work. 

Journeying  along  the  Tokaido,  or  road  of  the  Eastern 
Sea  (a  glorious  chain  of  scenery  that  links  far  Kyoto  with 
Yedo,  the  Eastern  capital),  the  genius  of  the  young  artist 
first  found  expression  and  his  magic  brush,  like  the  genii  in 
the  Arabian  Night’s  tale,  wrought  for  him  the  sketches 
whose  subtle  charm  has  astounded  and  influenced  the 
masters  in  landscape  art. 

Hiroshige  allowed  his  pupils  free  access  to  his  sketch- 
book and  seems  from  his  own  words  in  the  preface  to  the 
"Hundred  Views  of  Fuji"  to  have  delighted  in  providing 
models  for  copyists,  and  we  may  readily  believe  that  the 
disciples  following  in  his  footsteps  and  after  his  death  using 
his  signature  left  many  designs  that  bear  the  stamp  of  the 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

master,  and  so  have  passed  for  originals.  Those,  however. 
Forewords  truly  perceive  the  genius  of  the  great  landscape  peiinter, 
to  Some  of  can  readily  detecSt  the  works  by  his  followers,  even  as  the 
Hiroshig<^*s  finest  copies  of  the  masterpieces  of  Europe  preserve  the 
sacred  lines  but  cannot  refledt  the  spirit  of  genius,  which  is 
an  incommunicable,  subtle  gift. 

As  originally  published  these  volumes  were  four  and 
seven-eighths  inches  in  width  by  seven  and  three-eighths  in 
length  and  half  an  inch  in  thickness.  The  cover  is  a thick, 
stfeel-blue  paper,  upon  which  two  crests  are  heavily  em- 
bossed. One  is  the  Hiroshige  monogram,  used  so  often  as 
a seal.  It  is  composed  of  the  two  Kana  syllables,  hi  and  ro, 
the  first  within  the  latter,  and  is  known  as  the  Diamond  Seal, 
The  other  is  a wreath  of  conventionalized  vine,  the  sig- 
nificance of  which  is  not  known. 

The  title  on  the  cover  is  printed  in  blue  ink  on  a white 
label  bordered  with  two  faint  lines.  The  Japanese  abhor 
uniformity  and  a variation  in  charadler  in  the  sets  of  impres- 
sions is  almost  always  found.  In  a work  of  three  volumes 
the  first  title  will  be  in  the  common  style  of  charac5ter  equiv- 
alent to  our  ordinary  Roman;  the  second  may  present  a 
slight  variation  (as  in  our  Italic  capitals),  or  possibly  be  in 
the  cursive  style  or  script,  whilst  the  third  is  in  a more  cur- 
sive or  even  cryptic  style  equivalent  to  Old  English  or  Gothic. 

In  these  two  volumes  the  difference  may  be  compared 
as  that  between  Roman  and  Italic.  On  the’  inside  cover  of 
the  first  volume  the  title  is  repeated  in  black  ink  with: 

**Before  Volume  added  with  Ichiiyusai  Hiroshige  Fude,” 
and  the  publisher’s  trade  name,  Sho  rin  do.  In  the  lower 
right-hand  corner  are  two  pine  trees  freely  sketched,  and  a 
similar  inside  cover  page  is  found  in  the  third  volume,  with 
drooping  wistaria  in  place  of  the  pine  trees. 

Following  the  cover  title  in  the  first  volume  is  an  ordinary 
title  page,  where  the  title  appears  , in  white  on  the  black 

[44] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIR^OSHIGE 

page-this  being  absent  in  the  second  volume.  The  ”make 

up”  of  this  work  is  elaborate  and  shows  that  the  intention  Po^ewords 

was  to  give  it  an  elegant  dress,  suitable  to  the  high  character  to  Some  of 

of  its  contents.  Bool^^^^  * 

The  first  vglume  has  a four-leaved  preface  ornamented 
with  conventional  clouds  of  reddish-brown  which  drift 
across  the  top  of  the  page,  whilst  green  pine  needles  are 
strewn  beneath.  This  preface  is  thus  translated: 

^Travelling  is  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures.  Every  year 
have  1 wished  to  start  on  a tour,  but  my  daily  duties  have 
not  yet  allowed  me  to  realize  my  desires.  This  work  is  by 
the  famous  artist,  Hiroshige.  In  careful  detail  are  views  of 
over  fifty  villages  (stations)  between  Kyoto  and  Y edo,  the 
well-known  seas  and  mountains.  Mount  Akika  of  Omi  Prov- 
ince, Horai-ji  Temple  in  Mikawa,  and  the  various  routes 
leading  to  the  great  shrines  of  Ise.  Looking  at  these  picftures 
is  even  greater  pleasure  than  travel  itself!  Those  who  have 
never  travelled  will  find  instrudtion  in  these  pages,  whilst 
those  who  have  visited  these  places  will  be  vividly  reminded 
of  them  and  their  associations.  Ignorant  as  I am  of  drawing, 

I dare  say  that  with  dark  and  light  shades  of  ink-its  fragrance 
and  charm- this  work  is  not  inferior  to  the  work  of  any  old 
master.  This  by  Ryu  katei  Tanekadzu,  Spring,  1851.” 

Following  the  preface  are  four  pages  of  figures,  isolated 
or  in  groups.  These  are  the  people  we  see  en  route,  and 
they  are  all  designated  with  titles,  as  Samurai,  Religious  Pil- 
grims (of  which  there  are  several  types),  Priests,  Hotel 
Runners,  Courtesans,  Postmen,  Coolies,  Patent  Medicine 
Venders,  Inn  Maidens  and  Pleasure  Seekers.  Small  thumb- 
nail sketches  these,  but,  as  the  preface  truly  says,  those  who 
have  travelled  in  the  country  in  Japan  may  recognize  at 
once  the  various  types,  so  instindt  with  life  are  they. 

On  the  tenth  page  is  shown  a group  of  porters  who  ford 
the  river  with  the  traveller  borne  upon  their  shoulders.  They 

[45] 


Forewords 
to  Some  of 
Hiroshige’s 
Books 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

shout  and  brawl,  whilst  the  head  man  holds  out  bits  of  cord 
to  determine  the  requisite  number  from  the  mass  of  appli- 
cants. A man  with  a basket  of  fish  introduces  us  to  the  first 
station,  Nihon  Bashi  (bridge)  Yedo,  at  that  time  famous  for 
its  fish  market  and  the  ”Hub”  of  Japan. 

The  following  views  have  only  one  colour  besides  the 
black  of  the  key-block-a  steely  blue  which  gives  atmos- 
phere, life  and  even  a subtle  fragrance  to  the  impressions. 
Hiroshige  did  not  confine  himself  in  these  sketches  to  the 
Highway  proper  but  wandered  from  side  to  side  at  his  will, 
as  his  artist  soul  prompted,  and  after  Hodoga  ya  we  find 
Sugita,  celebrated  for  its  flowering  plum  trees  which  herald 
the  Spring  with  a glorious  wash  of  rose  colour.  Before  re- 
turning to  Totsuka  we  are  taken  to  Nokendo,  situated  on  the 
spur  of  one  of  the  hills  which  separate  Yokohama  from  the 
quiet  inlet  of  Kanazawa,  a bird’s-eye  view  of  which  lies  be- 
fore the  pilgrim  and  rewards  him  after  his  toilsome  ascent 
from  the  beach  below. 

Kanazawa  was  beloved  by  Hiroshige,  and  he  immortal- 
ized it  in  the  ”Eight  Views”  and  the  ”Moon”  triptych.  The 
naval  station  at  Yokosuka  is  close  to  Kanazawa,  and  the 
officers  stationed  there  often  spend  their  holiday  hours  on 
the  lovely  inlet.  The  spirit  of  Bushido  was  nourished  in 
such  divine  retreats.  At  beautiful  Kaneizawa  the  hero,  Ta- 
keo  Hirose,  mused,  and  mastered  the  tactics  of  war-like  so 
niany  of  his  ancestors,  loving  Nature  ardently,  and  in  times 
of  peace  giving  himself  to  contemplation  and  to  the  study 
of  her  varying  moods.  Before  his  glorious  death  at  Port 
Arthur  he  dedicated  a poem  to  the  Sun  and  Cherry  Blos- 
soms of  his  beloved  land.  After  death  he  was  apotheosized, 
and  now  he  has  joined  the  ranks  of  the  great  Gods  of  War. 

Student,  soldier  and  artist  are  often  synonymous  terms 
in  Japan,  and  the  arts  of  war  and  peace  thrived  simultane- 
ously, fed  with  the  fire  of  patriotism.  ”The  student,”  says 

[46] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Nitobe, "dwells  in  castles  of  air  and  feeds  on  ethereal  words 
of  wisdom.  In  his  eye  beams  the  fire  of  ambition;  his  mind  p^rewords 
is  athirst  for  knowledge.  Penury  is  only  a stimulus  to  drive  to  Some  of 
him  onwards;  worldly  goods  are  in  his  sight  shackles  to  Hiroshiges 
charadter.  He  is  the  repository  of  loyalty  and  patriotism. 

He  is  the  self-imposed  guardian  of  national  honour." 

A rearword  of  five  pages  presents  great  difficulties  in  the 
translation,  so  full  is  it  of  homophonous  word  play  and  run- 
ning allusions,  almost  unintelligible  to  one  ignorant  of  Jap- 
anese. It  concludes  as  follows: 

"These  words  are  for  the  teacher,  Hiroshige.  Leaning  on 
my  desk  and  looking  over  the  first  drafts  I find  the  pine 
forests  of  Hodogaya,  the  plum  thickets  of  Sugita,  the  sea- 
girt shore  of  Kanazawa  and  Kamakura,  the  residence  of 
Kagekino,  the  Horai  Temple,  Otsuta  Temple, Yokkaichi,  the 
clear  waters  of  the  Isosuzu  river,  Asama  mountain  and 
Futami  ura.  Towards  the  Western  Capital  (Kyoto)  are  Hi- 
gashi Yama,  Kiyomizu  Temple,  and  the  Sanjo  Bridge  is  at 
the  end  of  the  book.  The  brush  with  great  speed  covers 
over  one  hundred  n,  like  a fox  borrowing  the  might  of  a 
lion.  I have  the  honour  of  placing  this  rearword  to  finish 
the  book.  On  a rainy  day,  at  the  beginning  of  Spring,  1 849. 

This  by  Tanekadzu,  at  the  north  window  of  the  house  styled 
Ryukatei.** 

The  rearword  seems  to  have  been  designed  for  a preface, 
and  was  doubtless  written  before  the  plates  were  engraved, 
after  viewing  the  rough  sketches.  On  completion  of  the 
blocks  the  preface  in  the  volume  was  composed.  At  the 
back  is  an  advertising  page: 

"So  Hitsu  Gwa-fu,  Zen  pen"  (Before  Volume).  Second 
Volume.  Utagawa  Hiroshige.  *'Tokaido  Fukei  Dzu-Ye,  Zen 
pen.  Go  hen"  (After  Volume).  Complete  in  two  volumes. 

Script  for  the  preface  and  descriptions  by  Ryukatei  Tane- 
kadzu. Kaei,  4 (Year  of  the  Wild  Boar,  early  Spring  issued). 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Toto  (Eastern  Capital,  synonymous  with  Yedo)  Plates. 
Forewords  P^t>lisher,  Sho  rin  do;  or  the  proprietors  name,  Fuji  oka  ya; 
to  Some  of  Kei  ji  ro  of  Tori  Shura  cho,  the  name  of  the  ward.  Then  fol- 
Hiroshiges  lows  a list  on  the  back  cover  of  publishers  or  booksellers  of 
the  San  To,  the  three  capitals,  Osaka,.  Kyoto  and  Yedo 
or  Toto. 

”So  Hitsu  Gwa-fu**  (” Hurried  Brush  Pidture  Book”)  or 
(”Hasty  Sketches”)  is  the  title  of  a colledtion  of  dainty  pic- 
tures of  which  there  are  five  volumes.  The  book  is  a good 
example  of  the  printer’s  careful  work.  It  is  bound  in  heavy 
paper  with  an  embossed  design.  The  title,”Ryusai,  So  Hitsu 
Gwa-fu,”  is  in  blue  on  white  paper  on  the  outer  cover  and 
the  title  page  is  ornate  with  green  ink.  Taking  the  date  of 
publication  to  be  the  same  as  the  date  of  preface,  it  was 
printed  in  Ka  ei  (the  year  of  the  Monkey),  which  is  1 848. 
The  preface,  written  by  Ryukatei  Tanekadzu,  is  as  follows: 
”So  Hitsu  Gwa-fu”  ("Rough  Brush  Sketches")  by  Hiroshige. 
Preface  to  the  first  volume: 

”What  is  So?  It  is  said  to  be  a running  hand  [that  is  to 
say,  sketchy].  This  is  true;  for  as  I look  through  the  book  I 
find  that  the  movement  of  the  brush  is  a rapid  one.  i^ven 
the  swiftness  of  a giant  or  the  sturdy  legs  of  Shingyo  Taiso 
[a  character  in  the  *Sui  Koden,*  a book  of  legendary  heroes] 
cannot  keep  up  with  it.  Landscapes  are  a favourite  subjec5t 
of  Ichiryusai.  In  this  book  are  illustrations  of  the  famous 
bridges  of  Tendai,  the  bridge  over  the  Kiso  gorge,  together 
with  migration  of  wild  geese  and  the  swallows,  and  views 
of  autumnal  maples.  Though  the  illustrations  are  many  in 
number  the  brush  strokes  are  few.  Without  doubt  students 
of  this  book  will  progress  with  equal  rapidity  [here  we  have 
a pun  on  'So  Hitsu  Gwa,'  running  brush  pi(5ture]  and  will 
become  equally  famous  artists.  Even  I-usually  slow  of  pen- 
have  written  this  preface  with  a running  pen.  Ryukatei 
Tanekadzu.  Beginning  of  Autumn,  1 848." 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

The  illustrations  in  these  books,  small  as  they  are,  seem 
instinc5t  with  life  and  fidelity  to  nature.  As  the  size  of  the 
block  is  about  four  by  six  inches,  and  usually  there  are 
three  subjedts  on  a page,  such  wonderful  effedts  in  a small 
compass  challenge  wonder  and  admiration. 

Three  blocks  were  used  for  these  illustrations;  the  key- 
block,  one  for  steel-blue  and  one  for  orange-red.  Sometimes 
only  the  blue  and  black  appear.  The  only  double-page 
illustration  is  at  the  beginning,  a view  of  Kanazawa  ”Hak- 
kei,”  a moonlight  nocturne  in  which  the  red  is  omitted.  The 
pages  are  divided  between  landscapes  and  figures  and  close 
with  a plump  and  saucy  Ota-fuku  San,  with  Hiroshige’s 
signature  and  seal,  Ryusai,  in  black. 

In  the  second  volume  the  cover  title  is  pradtically  from 
the  same  block  as  the  first,  violating  the  usual  custom  of 
variety  in  cover  design.  The  title  page  is  also  printed  in 
green  ink  with  a slight  change  in  design.  The  preface  is  in 
ruled  columns  with  a background  of  alternate  steel-blue  and 
red.  (In  later  editions  the  background  colour  is  omitted). 
It  is  dated  Kaei,  3 (Year  of  the  Dog);  that  is,  1850,  earl^ 
Spring.  The  translation  says: 

”So  Hitsu  Gwa-fu:  Hir6shige.”  Preface  to  Volume  Two. 

”As  there  are  three  styles  in  art,  there  are  also  three 
styles  in  man’s  costume.  A man  in  full  dress  is  Shin  (formal 
or  classical).  When  dressed  for  a neighbourly  call  it  is  Q^o 
(easy  or  fre^).  At  home  lounging  it  is  So  (careless).  To 
change  the  figure  and  compare  it  with  drinking:  New  Year’s 
ceremonial  drinking  or  the  solemn  nuptial  rites  are  Shin;  a 
convivial  bout  at  a tea-house  is  Q;o,  and  the  quiet  nip  at 
home  is  So.  Recently  when  taking  a quiet  cup  at  home, 
Mr.  Fujioka  came,  asking  me  to  indite  a preface  to  the  sec- 
ond volume  of  *So  Hitsu  Gwa-fu.*  He  has  had  great  success 
with  the  first  volume  and,  as  a drinker  of  wine  not  satisfied 
with  one  drink,  wants  another.  Mr.  Hiroshige  was  a friend 


Forewords 
to  Some  of 
Hiroshige’s 
Books 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

of  my  father,  and  so  for  two  generations  our  family  has 
Forewords  friendship.  I am  skilled  in  wine-bibbing  but 

to  Some  of  not  as  clever  at  the  pen  as  my  father.  So,  after  my  friend 
left  me,  1 turned  to  my  cups  and  was  more  or  less  in  liquor 
^ for  thirty  days.  One  day  opening  this  volume  I came  sud- 
denly to  my  senses  and  dashed  off  this  preface.  The  views 
are  true  to  nature  but  so  lofty  in  conception  that  they  make 
us  feel  like  denizens  of  another  world.  Ichiryusai  is  a great 
man  and  a wonderful  artist.  Autumn  of  1850.  Honcho  an 
Kosamma.  (In  his  cups).” 

As  in  Volume  One,  there  is  only  one  double-page  illus- 
tration,”Omi  Hakkei.”  The  book  closes  with  an  acftor  in 
ceremonial  dress  salaaming  a farewell.  The  signature  and 
seal  are  the  same  as  in  the  first  volume.  These  two  volumes 
were  also  published  by  Sho  rin  do  Fuji  oka  ya  Kei  ji  ro, 
who  also  brought  out  theTokaido  series.  We  noted  that  at 
that  time  the  common  people  had  no  surname,  but  were 
known  by  their  shop  title,  so  that  Fuji  oka  ya  may  mean 
mine  host  of  Fuji  oka,  alias  Sho  rin  do,  name  Kei  ji  ro.  On 
the  back  cover  of  both  is  the  same  advertisement. 

The  third  volume  was  in  keeping  with  the  other  two, 
but  it  was  published  by  Ebisu  in  1 852.  This  volume  com- 
pletes the  *'So  Hitsu  Gwa-fu”  as  originally  published.  In  a 
later  edition  on  poorer  paper  and  with  very  poor  printing, 
there  are  five  volumes,  but  the  fourth  is  a reprint  of  ”Ryusai 
Hyakudzu”  and  the  fifth  volume  is  a reprint  of  the  **Te  Biki 
Gusa.”  The  preface  to  the  third  volume  is  of  little  interest. 

A very  rare  book  in  the  original  edition  is  a companion 
volume  to  ”So  Hitsu  Gwa-fu,"  the  full  title  of  which  is  "Riaku 
Gwa  Korin  Fu,  Ryusai  Hyakudzu"  (!*Ryusai’s  Hundred 
Sketches,  cursive  style  after  Korin"). 

The  inner  cover  title-page  has  a gourd  and  vine  upon 
which  this  title  is  displayed.  On  the  only  copy  avedlable 
for  scrutiny  the  publisher’s  name  does  not  appear,  but  our 

[50] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

old  friend  Tanekadzu  contributes  a preface  in  his  usually 
comic  vein.  Like  the  ”Gwa-fu”  it  has  double-page  illustra- 
tions at  the  front  and  back-the  emblems  of  longevity,  the 
pine,  turtle,  crane,  bamboo  and  plum,  and  an  elephant- 
whilst  in  blue  and  red  are  printed  pages  of  rapid  impres- 
sionistic sketches,  which  are  suggestive  of  Korin  but  more 
truly  resemble  the  **Riaku-gwa”  of  Keisai  Masayoshi.  They 
all  bear,  however,  the  stamp  of  the  master’s  genius,  an  indi- 
viduality which  is  unmistakable  even  in  the  tiniest  sketch. 
From  the  date  of  the  preface  this  work  appeared  in  1851, 
and  in  later  editions  is  entitled  Volume  Four  of  ”So  Hitsu 
Gwa^fu,”  though  the  translated  preface  is  as  follows: 

”The  night  procession  of  a hundred  giants,  a work  of  the 
Tosa  school,  reminds  one  of  Raiko’s  killing  a fiend;  and 
the  pic5ture  of  a woman  by  Hokusai  calls  to  mind  Genji 
making  a choice  of  fair  women.  You  may  talk  of  ghosts 
and  demons  all  you  please  but  do  not  lose  your  head  look- 
ing at  pictures  of  beautiful  women.  The  cranes,  turtles, 
flocks  of  birds  and  the  flying  Phoenix  depicSted  in  this  book 
call  to  mind  joyous  occasions,  and  we  wonder  whether  the 
birds  are  holding  social  gatherings.  Were  I to  begin  the 
description  of  butterflies  and  plants  presented  here,  this 
preface  would  be  too  lengthy,  even  longer  than  the  chatter 
of  a hundred  sparrows.  Some  time  ago  Ogata  (Korin)  of 
Kyoto  drew  a large  number  of  picftures  of  various  subjedts 
and  called  the  book  ”Korin  Hyakudzu.”  Some  might  think 
Hiroshige  an  imitator  of  Korin  by  thus  publishing  a similar 
book,  but  I assure  you  he  has  his  own  talent,  ability  and 
charac5teristics,  and  the  reputation  of  this  work  will  doubtless 
travel  with  race-horse  speed-even  a thousand  ri  a minute. 
Spring  of  1851.  Ryu  katei  Tanekadzu.”  ”Ye  hon  Te  biki 
gusa.”  Kaei,1848-1853.  ("Pidlure  Book,  Guide  to  Plants”). 

This  volume  is  uniform  in  size  with  the  ”Tokaido  Fu 
kei.”  It  is  marked  on  the  title  page  ”First  Volume,”  but  no 


Forewords 
to  Some  of 
Hiroshige’s 
Books 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


second  volume  has  come  to  light.  In  a later  edition  of  the 
Forewords  Hitsu  Gwa-fu”  it  is  reprinted  as  Volume  Five,  and  it  is 
to  Some  of  fair  to  infer  that  this  work,  though  projedled  in  several  vol- 
Hiroshig^s  umes,  for  some  reason  was  given  up  after  the  first  volume 
°°  ® appeared.  The  make  up  is  similar  to  the  Tokaido  volumes, 
without  crests  on  the  cover.  The  date  is  that  of  the  era 
only,  Kaei  (1848-1853).  It  contains  pictures  of  plants  and 
fishes  in  many  colours,  with  a double-page  illustration  of 
Fuji  from  the  beach,  next  to  the  last  page. 

Looking  at  these  marvellous  studies  of  fish,  we  might 
almost  believe  that  the  master  had  actually  viewed  the  sub- 
marine world.  He  shows  us  the  fairy  land  beneath  the  ocean 
that  may  be  seen  through  a glass-bottomed  boat  in  crystal 
waters.  Weird  sea  growths  are  here;  his  fishes  breathe  in 
their  native  atmosphere.  We  feel  the  strai^ge,  unearthly 
swirl  and  surge  which  sway  ”the  flowers  that  blush  beneath 
the  ocean  green,”  a rhythmic  motion  not  of  earth.  This  is 
the  genius  of  the  Orient,  which  reflects  life  in  all  its  varied 
forms.  Hiroshige  and  Hokusai  made  all  things  to  live  and 
breathe  in  their  proper  medium,  defying  with  their  virile 
touch  the^old,  dead  tradition  and  convention  of  the  aristo- 
cratic schools. 

/ Could  any  artist  in  our  schools  crowd  into  a panel  six  or 

eight  inches  wide  the  suggestion  of  infinities  that  Hiroshige 
does,  yet  without  forcing  his  limited  medium?  Herein  lies 
the  magic  of  the  Japanese  draughtsman  who  plays  with  bal- 
ance, rhythm  and  proportion-his  inherent  knowledge  of  art 
enabling  him  to  gauge  instindlively  the  capacity  of  cramped 
spaces. 

Who  l^ut  Hiroshige  and  his  school  could  suggest  in  such 
- small  compass  the  majesty  of  the  ocean?  In  a tiny  panel  of 
goldfish  the  wave  follows  the  sweep  of  the  master’s  brush 
in  a swirl  of  indigo  and  aqua-marine  and  recedes  in  liquid 
tones  of  tenderest  blue.  Goldfish  sport  in  the  tossing  foam 

[52] 


■^^11 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

and  flask  through  it  streams  of  vermilion  light.  Here  and 
there  a pine  needle  has  fallen  and  is  caught  in  the  mael- 
strom. It  is  vital  art-realism,  impressionism,  a poem  and  a 
marine-all  in  a few  spaces  of  vibrating  vegetable  fibre  and 
pure,  pulsating  colour  harmony. 

Another  spec5tacular  effecft  is  a huge  moon  in  a sunset 
sky,  out  of  which  three  wild  geese  rush  towards  a wave 
whose  crest  seems  breaking  into  foam  in  sheer  delight  at 
their  approach.  Again,  we  see  a pale  moon  indigo-rimmed 
sinking  towards  the  horizon,  whilst  sea-birds  whirl  through 
space  towards  a shore  dimly  outlined  in  specftral  green. 

The  magic  and  mystery  of  such  scenes  and  their  effedt 
Upon  the  imagination  are  interpreted  by  Yone  Noguchi,  in 
orientalized  English: 

was  as  in  the  mazy  sweet, 

I knew  not  why.  1 smiled  unto  the  moon; 

The  moon  understood  me;  the  silence  was  profound. 

On  the  sea-face  unearthly  dreams 

And  greenly  melancholic  autumn  voicelessly  stepped. 

A sea-bird  suddenly  sprung  from  the  wave 
Scattering  sea-pearls  with  lavish  wing." 

In  this  pidture  guide  Hiroshige,  like  his  contemporary, 
Hokusai,  exemplified  the  various  styles  of  brush  play.  He 
shows  us  the  Shin,  formal  and  dignified,  an  offshoot  of  the 
classic;  the  where  hilarity  reigns,  reckless  in  its  abandon 
to  gaiety,  enhanced  by  joyous  company  and  the  wine  cup; 
and  So,  the  free-and-easy,  the  gentle  atmosphere  of  home, 
requiring  no  effort,  blent  with  domesticity  and  simple,  whole- 
some ease.  Hiroshige  illustrates  both  Shin  and  So  styles,  with 
branches  of  plum  blossom  even  as  the  Japanese  connoisseur 
in  floral  decoration  places  boughs  of  flowering  cherry  or 
plum  trees,  according  to  the  rules  which  have  been  handed 
down  through  the  centuries.  The  first  editions  are  rich  and 
beautiful  in  colour.  The  preface  reads  as  follows: 

[53] 


Forewords 
to  Some  of 
Hiroshige's 
Books 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

”It  is  said  that  Cho  Densu’s  image  of  Fudo  [a  god  sur- 
Forewords  emitted  adtual  flames;  and  the  brush  with 

to  Some  of  which  Domo  no  Matahei  drew  his  own  portrait  petrified 
Hiroshig^*s  and  pierced  a stone.  A work  of  art  executed  with  all  the 
energy  and  spirit  of  man  is  often  imbued  with  life-ac5lually 
lives.  Several  instances  have  been  heard  of  where  drawings 
or  sculpture  turned  into  animated  beings,  forsaking  the 
paper  or  stone.  This  work,  the  result  of  much  ability  and 
careful  study,  contains  the  drawings  of  plants;  of  roaring 
Naruto  (rapids);  the  carp  of  Ryusa;  the  cherry  blossoms  of 
Yoshino;  the  plum  of  Taiya-without  regard  to  origin,  whether 
Japanese  or  Chinese,  the  result  of  Chinese  brushes  and 
Japanese  ink!  When  placed  on  your  desk  should  some 
pictures  crawl  out  of  the  book,  as  the  Kichizan  Fudo  and 
the  Matahei  portrait,  let  the  fishes  swim  in  the  Black  Sea  of 
your  ink-well  and  put  the  flowers  in  the  water-holder  on 
the  desk.  January  of  Kaei  (1848-1853).  Ryu  ka  tei  Tane- 
kadzu.” 

It  is  an  invariable  custom  in  Japan  for  the  traveller  upon 
his  return  home  to  bring  souvenirs  to  each  member  of  his 
family,  including  the  servants.  These  gifts  or  Mipage  were 
selected  with  a desire  to  give  those  at  home  an  idea  of  the 
locality  visited  and,  as  Yedo  was  the  most  important  city 
in  Japan,  views  of  the  capital  made  charming  mementoes 
and  served  the  purpose  of  our  photographs  and  postal  cards. 

The  *’Yedo  Miyage”  ("Souvenirs  of  Yedo")  is  a set  of 
small  books  illustrated  by  Hiroshige,  of  the  same  size  and 
general  makeup  as  the  "Hundred  Views  of  Yedo."  The  set 
is  usually  spoken  of  as  complete  in  twelve  volumes,  but  not 
all  are  by  the  master. 

”Meisho  Yedo  Hiak’kei”  (One  Hundred  Views  of  Yedo): 
There  were  acftually  1 1 8 plates  in  this  work,  dating  from 
1856,  second  month,  to  1858,  tenth  month:  In  1856  thirty- 
eight  plates;  in  1857,  seventy,  and  in  1858,  ten.  This  is 

[54] 


The  Eagle.  From  the 
One  Hundred  Views  of 
Yedo 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

perhaps  the  most  important  work  of  Hiroshige,  if  we  take 

into  consideration  the  number  of  plates,  the  variety  in  com-  Po^ewords 

position  and  the  subjedt-that  populous  capital,  Yedo,  which  to  Some  of 

was  thronged  half-yearly  with  the  visiting  Daimyo  and  their  Hiroshige’s 

l3ooks 

retinues. 

As  we  see  from  other  important  works  of  his,  such  as 
the  **Views  of  Sixty  Provinces,”  during  the  Fifties  he  practi- 
cally abandoned  the  lateral  plate  for  the  vertical  one,  just  as 
many  photographers,  having  exhausted  the  resources  of 
competition  in  the  photograph  whose  largest  dimensions 
are  from  east  to  west,  have  turned  to  the  upright  camera 
and  taken  vertical  views.  This  fadl  enables  us  to  judge  fairly 
correctly  regarding  some  sets  where  the  date  of  the  work  is 
not  sufficiently  distinctive  to  place  accurately  in  the  chron- 
ological bibliography. 

To  sum  up: 

First.  We  find  in  the  memorial  portrait  a statement  issued 
over  the  publishers  seal  that  Hiroshige’s  ^Hundred  Views 
of  Yedo”  was  one  of  his  masterpieces  which  appeared  dur- 
ing the  Ansei  era. 

Second.  On  examining  the  seals  on  the  margins  of  the 
complete  work  as  originally  issued,  we  find  that  the  plates 
were  dated  from  the  second  month  of  1856  to  the  tenth 
month  of  1 858. 

Third.  In  addition  to  the  seal  date  on  the  margin  there 
are  two  plates  where  the  date  is  embodied  in  the  picture 
and  written  out  in  characters,  and  that  date  agrees  with  the 
se£tl  date. 

Fourth.  In  plates  5,  56,  63,  102  and  107  the  cycle  seal 
for  1857  is  followed  by  an  abbreviated  character  meaning 
”intercalary”  and  then  the  numeral  ”5.”  In  looking  up  the 
chronology  we  find  that  in  the  year  1 85  7 the  intercalary,  or 
extra  month  necessitated  by  the  old  calendar,  was  the  month 
following  the  fifth  month,  that  is,  the  Intercalary  Fifth;  so 

[55] 


V 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

we  have  here  a double  check  on  the  date,  as  there  was  no 
Forewords  ^Intercalary  month  in  1845. 

k ^ ll*"  MC  ‘>-ansient  praise  Hiroshige’s  fairy 

Books  mi  Hiak  kei."  (One  Hundred  Views  of  Fuji). 

Lverythmg  about  the  tiny  volume  de  luxe  is  in  keeping-even 
the  delicate  writing  upon  the  prefatorial  page,  sprinkled 
with  blots  of  pale  pink  as  if  confetti  had  fallen,  though  the 
wnter^rtist  no  doubt  intended  showers  of  the  peach.  Per- 
haps  Hiroshige,  in  sweet  symbolic  fashion,  prefigured  him- 
selt  in  the  old  man  opposite  the  title  page,  holding  an  infant 
m the  crook  of  his  arm;  maybe  a fairy  child  he  has  found 
in  the  bamboo  thicket. 

Everywhere  Aere  are  elfin  touches  and  the  boldness  of 
brush  stroke  m the  Yedo  Views  melts  into  tenderest  manip- 
ulahon.  It  is  Elfin  Land-"a  sweep  of  lute  strings,  laughs 
and  whifts  of  song"-borne  upon  the  incense  of  scattered 
peach  blossoms  from  orchards  bordered  by  pines,  while 
huji  omnipresent  fills  the  horizon.  The  foreword  is  by  Ryu- 

1857*"  *^*^*^*  seal-date,  "Serpent 


[56] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


NOTES  UPON  HIROSHIGE’S 
MASTERPIECES 


give  a complete  history  of  the  works  of  Hiro- 
M Cr^\  shige  is  beyond  the  scope  of  the  present  book. 
H 1 We  can  only  enumerate  the  principal  sets  of 

Impressions,  and  notice  a few  of  the  most  impor- 
tant. The  ”Yedo  Meisho”  (Famous  LocalitieStof 
Yedo)  is  a subjedt  ^hich  appealed  with  peculiar  force  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Eastern  Capital,  Yedo  (named  Toto 
or  Yeto).  Nearly  fifty  different  series  of  these  sets,  of  un- 
known number  and  in  plates  of  various  shapes  and  sizes, 
are  known-all  by  the  first  Hiroshige.  If  carefully  compared 
the  difiFerences  in  shape  of  border,  location  of  tide,  signature 
in  frame  or  without  justify  this  statement.  The  set  of  most 
uniform  excellence  was  probably  one  of  the  earliest  in  the 
middle  period  and  is  entitled  "Toto  Meisho,"with  the  pub- 
lisher’s stamp,  Kikakudo,  on  the  margin  in  red.  Sometimes 
Sanoki  in  black  is  found  in  place  of  the  red  stamp. 

A beautiful  example  of  another  set  shows  the  yearly 
festival  at  Asakusa  Temple.  The  red  of  the  temple  against 
the  snow  is  very  striking.  This  print  is  the  usual  full-sized 
horizontal  plate,  but  we  find  an  upright  panel  where,  in  the 
smallest  compass,  we  get  a suggestive  view  of  the  distridt 
of  Asakusa,  with  a glimpse  of  the  Pagoda  and  the  celebrated 
Temple  of  Kwannon.  In  the  courtyard  happy  people  come 
and  go  incessantly,  and  the  ring  of  the  coppers  falling  in  the 
boxes  placed  for  offerings  mingles  with  the  clapping  of 
hands  in  invocation  to  Buddha  who  looks  down  from  the 
Place  of  Prayer.  Pigeons  strut  confidingly  between  the  feet 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

of  pilgrims.  Within  the  Temple  is  the  Hall  of  the  Golden 
Notes  Upon  Dragon  and  the  atmosphere  seems  bathed  in  sunbeams,  for 
Hiroshige’s  yellow  light  is  believed  to  permeate  the  regions  of  Amida 
Masterpieces  Buddha.  In  this  panel  we  see  the  tropical  rain  pelting  upon 
the  Temple  roof  and  the  Pagoda  beyond,  darkness  shrouds 
the  Dragon  Hall,  and  the  golden  utensils  of  the  Buddhist 
ceremonial  glimmer  faintly  before  the  shrine  of  Amida,  the 
All-Merciful. 

The  illustration  shows  us  Tsukudajima,  a small  panel 
of  the”Toto  Meisho”  (Yedo  Views).  It  is  a lovely  little  noc- 
turne, perfedl  in  its  composition  and  perspedtive;  the  rich 
reddish-brown  and  yellow  of  the  junks  in  the  foreground 
relieving  the  somberness  of  the  sleeping  village,  lapped  in 
moonlit  water. 

One  of  the  finest  series  of  panel  plates  is  entitled  ”Mu 
Tama  Gawa”  (Six  Tama  Rivers).  The  six  rivers  of  the  same 
name  in  various  provinces  furnished  another  favourite  set 
of  themes  for  poetry  and  art.  Often  and  in  many  forms  do 
they  appear,  but  the  series  of  full-sized  lateral  prints  pub- 
lished in  the  middle  period  byTsutaya  is  incomparably  the 
best.  The  first  plate,  entitled  ”Settsu  Koromo  Uchi”  (Cloth 
Pounding),  might  have  suggested  to  Whistler  the  title,  ”A 
Nocfturne  in  Blue  and  Silver."  Save  a faint  band  of  green  at 
the  picture’s  base  and  touches  of  colour  in  the  dresses  of  the 
little  women  fulling  cloth  by  the  river,  only  two  tones  are 
used.  But  how  the  great  artist  plays  with  his  theme;  what 
an  orchestration  he  gives  in  two  shades.  The  moonlight 
has  aided  the  master,  softening  the  sombre  mountain  with 
patches  of  silver  and  caught  in  the  meshes  of  the  reeds  by 
the  river’s  brink.  A tropical  brilliance  floods  the  swift  stream, 
but  the  shadows  rest  in  shades  of  indigo.  A flight  of  geese, 
arrow-like,  crosses  the  moon’s  face  and  a distant  range  of 
hills  fades  mysteriously  into  the  night.  The  ideographs, 
almost  like  another  flight  of  birds,  tell  us  poetically  how 

[58] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


the  busy  little  women  choose  the  moonlight  hour  to  full 
cloth  by  the  lovely  Tama  River.  Notes  Upon 

. The  plate  given  here  is  entitled  ”Kii,  Koya”  and  shows  us  Hiroshige’s 
the  dread  waters  of  the  river  whose  source  was  near  the  Masterpieces 
famous  Koya  shrine  in  the  mountains  of  Shokoku.  The  two 
pilgrims  gaze  at  the  sparkling  stream  in  dread,  for  it  is  poi- 
soned by  the  ashes  of  the  ”Fox- Woman”  buried  near  by. 

Upon  the  margin  is  the  seal-date, ”Snake,”  1 85  7.  After  the 
announcement  of  the  seal-date  discovery  in  the  catalogue 
of  the  Happer  Gollecftion,  the  noted  expert,  Mr.  W.  H.  Ed- 
monds, commented  on  the  date,  1845,  ascribed  to  the  three 
celebrated  triptychs-the  Awa  Whirlpool,  the  Kiso  Gorge  and 
the  Kanazawa  Moon.  He  stated  that  the  Ansei  era  was 
clearly  indicated  on  the  print.  On  inspecftion  it  was  found 
that  the  round  seal  by  the  side  of  the  oval  seal  was  Sei,  an 
abbreviation  for  Ansei,  and  the  year  is  therefore  1857.  Fol- 
lowing this  discovery  of  Mr.  Edmond’s,  the  Sei  was  found 
on  most  of  the  prints  which  appeared  during  the  era  of 
1 854- 1859;  in  fadt,  the  absence  of  the  Sei  seal  may  be  taken 
as  negative  evidence  that  any  given  print  antedates  that  era. 

It  was  found  also  that  in  work  dated  1 859  and  in  subsequent 
years  the  Sei  appeared  included  in  the  animal  seal.  This 
combined  seal  afforded  an  easy  method  of  determining  the 
work  of  Hiroshige,  the  Second,  for  on  all  prints  that  have 
been  examined  the  Sei  appears  in  the  seal.  The  Sei  seal 
appears  also  upon  the  panel  just  described,  dating  it  in  the 
Ansei  era.  We  hope  more  light  may  be  shed  upon  the  sub- 
jedt  by  the  study  of  seal  dating. 

Before  developing  his  genius  for  landscape  Hiroshige 
for  a while  followed  his  contemporaries  in  depidting  women. 

The  artists  of  the  popular  school  were  vowed  to  the  worship 
of  the  Eternal  Feminine.  The  Ukiyo-ye  print  was  frowned 
upon  by  the  military  aristocrats  who,  in  revolt  at  the  profli- 
gacy of  the  Genroku  era  (1688-1703),  had  instituted  a 

[59] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Puritanical  readtion,  but  the  pleasure-loving  populace  wel- 
NotesUpon  with  delight  this  refledtion  in  the  mirror  of  art  of 

Hiroshige’s  their  favourite  pursuits  and  pleasures.  The  lofty  standard 
Masterpieces  of  the  Samurai  and  the  fadt  that  many  of  the  old  masters 
were  priests  make  it  easy  to  understand  why  to  this  day  the 
art  of  Ukiyo-ye-the  floating  world  of  pleasure  and  desire- 
is  discredited  by  the  aristocracy. 

In  a set  termed  ”Soto  To  Uchi  Sugata  Hakkei”  (Indoor 
and  Outdoor  Eight  Views)  Hiroshige  compares  women  with 
scenery.  One  fine  plate  shows  a beauty  of  the  Yoshiwara 
awakened  by  the  evening  bell.  The  small  circular  view  shows 
the  wild  geese  coming  to  rest  in  the  fields  adjoining  ”The 
Nightless  City.”  Professor  Fenollosa  said  of  this  plate:  ”lt 
makes  us  think  in  its  intense  feeling  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynold’s 
subjedt:  Mrs.  Siddons  as  the  *Tragic  Muse.*  **  The  whole 
attitude  of  the  slender  figure  speaks  of  weariness  and 
depression.  Perhaps  the  beauty  of  the  moonlit  Sumida  has 
filled  her  with  sadness.  The  soul’s  desolation  of  these  frail 
flowers  of  the  Yoshiwara  is  often  expressed  in  little  poems 
written  upon  the  impressions.  One  of  them  is  here  freely 
translated: 

The  Song  of  Miyako. 

Though  I am  nothing— 

Naught  but  a plaything, 

Loved  for  a moment, 

Breathed  on,  then  broken. 

Yet  for  me  too 

Shines  the  sweet  moon; 

Sweet  rays,  consoling, 

Lighting  my  heart— 

Me,  hapless  one. 

In  the  **Kwa  Cho**  (Birds  and  Flowers)  series  the  versatile 
artist  was  especially  successful.  His  love  of  poetry  is  also 
shown  in  these  rare  prints,  a short  poem  being  inscribed 

[60] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

upon  them  interpreting  the  artist’s  intention,  and  he  doubt- 
less indicated  many  of  the  little  sonnets  to  his  own  birds  and  Upon 

flowers.  Qyails  and  poppies  are  always  combined  in  Japa-  Hiroshige’s 
nese  art,  and  on  a page  belonging  to  an  early  set  of  ”Kwa  Masterpieces 
Cho”  there  is  a rare  print  devoted  to  them.  Tender  and 
alive  are  the  little  brown  quail,  and  what  a sweet  vanishing 
of  colour  in  the  leaves  of  the  poppy.  The  faint  brush  strokes 
on  its  petals  give  that  velvety  sheen  the  flower  possesses. 

The  syllables  of  the  (poem)  **Aki  no  Yume  Mite  Ya 
Nakidasu  Mugizura**  are  thus  freely  translated  by  Mr.  Hap- 
pen ”Gazing  at  Autumn-dreamy  beauty-hark;  the  cry  of 
the  quail.” 

The  illustration  given  is  one  of  a series  of  large,  vertical 
panels  which  belong  to  his  earlier  period.  The  plates  bear 
the  seal  of  ”Jaku  Rin  Do,**  and  are  variously  signed.  The 
descriptive  poems  are  in  Chinese,  showing  that  the  author 
was  familiar  with  the  classics.  The  perfedtion  of  these  first 
impressions  de  luxe  has  never  been  approached  elsewhere 
and  exemplify  that  Ur  age  d*Art  about  which  M.  deGoncourt 
and  the  connoisseurs  rave. 

Birds  whose  plumage  transports  us  to  a tropical  forest, 
the  colours  held  in  the  **vibrating  tentacles  of  vegetable 
fibre,**  are  subtly  enhanced  by  that  cunning  device  of  relief- 
embossing or  dry  printing-said  to  be  accomplished  by  the 
pressure  of  the  printer’s  elbow  upon  the  engraved  lines  on 
the  block.  The  secrets  of  these  artist-artisans  were  their 
own -alchemists  in  colour  and  wonder-working  wizards  of 
the  block.  Hiroshige  vied  with  Hokusai  in  his  treatment  of 
birds.  His  golden  pheasant  seems  flying  amidst  the  pines 
on  the  mountain  side;  the  exotic,  long-tailed  bird  shown  in 
the  illustration  sways  sleepily  with  the  blossoming  plum 
bough,  whilst  the  peacock  choosing  his  perch  amongst  the 
bright  maple  leaves  completes  the  grand  orchestration  in 
colour. 

[61] 


/ 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Hokusai  and  Hiroshige  rivalled  the  old  Chinese  and 
Notes  Upon  masters  in  their  bird  panels.  Little  did  Hokusai 

Hiroshige’s  dream,  still  less  might  he  have  cared  in  his  passionate  devo- 
Masterpieces  tion  to  art  for  art’s  sake,  that  the  "birds  upon  the  fan  of 
Hokusai  stand  with  the  marbles  of  the  Parthenon  for  the 
concrete  expression  of  artistic  beauty."  Those  who  love  the 
memory  of  the  old  artist  will  feel  their  hearts  glow,  knowing 
that  his  name  engraved  in  stone  upon  the  Whistler  memo- 
rial at  West  Point  will  go  down  to  posterity  with  that  of  the 
great  Western  artist  who  first  bowed  to  oriental  influence- 
modelling  the  figures  in  his  nodturnes  and  symphonies  after 
the  sweeping  lines  of  Kiyonaga  and  studying  impressionism 
from  the  landscapes  of  Hokusai  and  Hiroshige. 

Another  fascinating  little  panel  shows  us  a cuckoo  flying 
by  night  above  a stream  shadowed  by  pine  branches.  A 
magic  dwells  in  the  pi<5ture.  Is  it  the  sweep  of  the  cuckoo’s 
wing  who,  these  children  of  nature  declare,  loves  the  moon 
or  is  it  diffused  through  the  pine  needles  swaying  above  the 
blue  water?  Who  can  say?  It  is  part  of  the  charm  which 
once  felt  for  nishiki-^e  can  never  be  effaced-the  virile  touch 
of  the  master  artisan  engraver. 

Of  the  sets  of  Impressions  by  Hiroshige,  illustrating  the 
historical  and  legendary  tales  of  his  country  and  of  China, 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  is  " Y oshitsune  Ichai  Dai  Dzu  Y e" 
(Incidents  in  the  Life  of  Yoshitsune).  He  was  the  most  strik- 
ing figure  in  Japanese  history  and  romance.  There  are  ten 
plates  in  the  set  and  the  most  beautiful  is  the  first,  in  which 
we  see  Tokiwa,  the  young  wife  of  the  murdered  Yoshitomo, 
toiling  through  the  snow— flying  from  the  sensual  Kiyomori, 

, leader  of  the  Taira  clan,  who  long  terrorized  Japan.  With 
one  arm  she  clasps  her  baby  to  her  breast  whilst  holding 
the  hand  of  her  youngest  child,  and  she  turns  her  head  to 
cheer  with  encouraging  words  the  brave  boy  who,  bearing 
his  father’s  sword,  struggles  with  the  wintry  blast  which 

[62] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

sways  the  snow-laden  bamboos.  An  icy  rivulet  impedes  the 
way  but  bravely  she  fskces  it,  little  knowing  that  the  baby  in  Motes  Upon 
her  arms  will  one  day  become  the  "Bayard  of  Japan,"  of  Hiroshige’s 
whom  Mr.  Okakura  says:  "In  the  midst  of  an  age  of  epic  Masterpieces 
heroism  looms  large  the  romantic  figure  of  Yoshitsune,  of 
the  house  of  Minamoto,  whose  life  recalls  the  tales  of  the 
round  table  and  is  lost  like  that  of  the  Knight  of  Pendragon 
in  poetic  mist,  so  as  to  furnish  the  imagination  of  a later 
day  with  plausible  grounds  for  identifying  him  with  Gen- 
ghis Khan  in  Mongolia,  whose  wonderful  career  begins 
about  fifteen  years  after  the  disappearance  of  Yoshitsune  in 
Yezo.  Yoritomo,  the  elder  brother  of  Yoshitsune,  aided 
him  in  avenging  his  father’s  murder  and  became  the  first 
hereditary  Shogun,  the  title  being  conferred  upon  him  in 
1 190."  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  these  great  heroes  were 
contemporary  with  Richard  the  Lion-hearted,  and  the  siege 
of  Ascalon  took  place  within  two  years  of  the  assumption 
by  Yoritomo  of  the  title  of  Shogun  (Sei  Tai  Shogun)  or  (Bar- 
barian-subjugating Great  General).  The  adventures  of  the 
two  brothers  have  been  favourite  subjecSts  for  Japanese  artists. 

In  the  illustration  given  we  see  Yoshitsune  in  deadly 
combat  with  the  robber,  Shirakawa  no  Tankai.  The  contrast 
between  the  slender  youth  and  the  ruffianly  murderer  sug- 
gests a parallel  with  David  and  Goliath.  The  full  moon, 
half  shadowed  by  cryptomeria  boughs,  lights  .up  the  young 
hero’s  face  and  the  mysterious  shadows  cast  by  the  trees 
which  enshrine  the  temple  add  intensity  to  the  drama.  Each 
plate  is  signed  Hiroshige,  with  the  seal  of  Sen  Kakudo. 

The  "Chiushingura"  (Drama  of  the  Forty-seven  Ronin)  is 
full  of  dramatic  power  and  picfluresque  scenes.  He  designed 
several  sets  of  this  popular  subjedt. 

The  Popular  School  under  Okyo  and  the  School  of 
Ukiyo-ye,  though  breaking  the  bonds  of  classicism,  still  loved 
the  consecrated  formula  of  expression.  The  "Eight  Views" 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

(Hakkei)-originally  subjects  of  Chinese  poetry,  celebrating 
Notes  Upon  seasons  and  hours-were  adopted  and  ascribed  to 

Hiroshige*s  Various  picturesque  scenes  in  Japan.  Kyoto  loved  the 
Masterpieces  appropriate  setting  afforded  by  Lake  Biwa,  named  ”Omi 
Hakkei**  (Eight  Views  of  Omi),  the  province  in  which  the 
beautiful  lake  is  situated;  Yedo  claimed  equally  noteworthy 
scenes  in  its  vicinity;  while  both  admired  Kanazawa,  the 
land-locked  inlet  in  Yedo  Bay. 

Hiroshige  designed  many  series  of  ”Hakkei.”  The  finest 
are  the  ”Omi  Hakkei,”  the  ” Y edo  Kinko  Hakkei”  and,  above 
all,  the  ^Kanazawa  Hakkei.”  Of  his  many  triptychs  the 
moonlight  view  of  Kanazawa  is  the  most  beautiful.  It  is 
signed  and  sealed  and  dated  *’Snake  year,”  having  also  the 
Sei  seal,  making  the  date  1857.  The  ”Kisoji  no  Yama  Kwa” 
(Mountains  and  Streams  on  the  Kiso  Highway)  triptych  is 
the  largest  snow  picture  by  Hiroshige.  A slate  blue  is  the 
only  colour,  the  translucent  white  of  the  paper  representing 
the  snow.  It  has  the  same  year  date  as  the  Kanazawa  trip- 
tych. He  also  designed  various  Hari-maze  (Mixed  Pictures). 
One  set  of  the  Tokaido  in  this  form  is  full  of  little  gems,  the 
initial  sheet  bearing  the  stamp  of  Maruzei. 

Charming  surimonc  and  ”Fan”  prints  are  his-the  latter  in 
two  shapes,  the  Uchtwa,  non-folding  round  fan,  and  the  Ogi 
or  folding  fan.  Another  classicism  was  the  naming  a series 
of  three  pictures  ”Settsu  Gekka”  (Snow,  Moon  and  Flowers), 
called  the  ”Three  Friends  of  the  Poet.”  The  moonlight 
”Saru  Hashi”  (Monkey  Bridge)-our  frontispiece-is  a kake- 
mono-ye  made  by  joining  two  full-sized  vertical  plates,  and 
was  published  by  Tsutaya^-whose  seal  device  is  an  ivy  leaf 
under  a triple-peaked  Fuji-in  the  artist’s  middle  period.  It 
is  considered  one  of  the  finest  landscape  prints  of  the 
Ukiyo-ye  school,  in  its  masterly  design  and  poetic  feeling 
challenging  comparison  with  the  work  of  the  old  landscape 
painters  of  Japan. 


[64] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

The  ”Snow  Gorge,”  which  is  given  here,  is  a companion 
piece  to  the  ”Saru  Hashi,”  and  the  Japanese  believe  that 
there  was  a third  plate,  "Cherry  Blossoms,"  making  a ”Settsu 
Gekka.”  This  impression  was  published  by  Sanoki  and  is  a 
bold  and  beautiful  design,  the  colouring  mainly  blue  and 
white-snow-capped  rocks  and  sapphire  stream. 

Of  all  the  landscapes  by  Hiroshige  the  most  familiar  are 
the  "Tokaido  Go-ju-san  Tsugi"  (Fifty-three  stations  of  the 
Tokaido  or  Eastern  Road),  published  by  Takeuchi  Hoyeido 
in  the  early  Thirties.  Another  full-sized  Tokaido  series  was 
published  by  Maruzei  in  the  middle  period,  and  the  set  is 
noticeable  for  extreme  delicacy  in  execution.  From  this 
series  was  selec5ted  the  view  of  Fujiyama  given  on  a former 
page.  The  contrast  between  his  work  in  this  Tokaido  set 
and  in  that  of  Hoyeido  shows  how  the  master’s  style  varied. 
We  might  almost  deny  that  the  two  sets  were  the  work  of 
the  same  brush.  The  slender,  miniatare  trees  in  Maruzei’s 
edition  remind  us  of  the  fairy  plates  of  the  ”One  Hundred 
Views  of  Fuji”-that  rare  little  chef  d'oeuvre. 

The  standard  Tokaido  by  Hoyeido  is  the  most  popular, 
containing  as  it  does  the  ”Rain"  at  Shono,  the  ”Wind"  at 
Yokkaichi  showing  the  wind  sweeping  across  the  rice  field 
and  the  coolie  chasing  his  hat.  Then  Station  Nineteen, 
"Kameyama  Snow,"  where  coolies  are  climbing  up  an  almost 
perpendicular  hillside,  the  road  hidden  in  snowdrifts;  what 
a fascinating  conception!  In  the  foreground  two  trees  are 
locked  in  a wintry  embrace  and  a few  lines  show  us  the 
village  roofs,  snow-burdened,  and  beyond  the  whiteness 
lies  a glory  of  roseate  sky  (in  the  best  impressions)  where 
the  sun  sinks  below  the  horizon. 

^Evening  Snow  at  Kambara,”  given  here,  is  a lovely  sub- 
jec5t.  It  is  the  Sixteenth  Station  and  shows  a village  almost 
buried  in  snow,  suggesting  winter  in  Switzerland  rather  than 
in  semi-tropical  Japan.  So  it  is  a relief  to  come  to  Station 

[65] 


Notes  Upon 

Hiroshige’s 

Masterpieces 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Twenty-one  (see  illustration)  where  we  see  the  early  blos- 
Notes  Upon  soming  plum.  The  long,  bare  branches  with  touches  of  rose 
Hiroshige's  peeping  through  their  wintry  darkness-for  not  a leaf  is  yet 
Masterpieces  visible-look  like  wonderful  fairy  wands  bewitched  into 
blossoming.  The  veriest  coolie  in  Japan  loves  the  awaken- 
ing of  Spring,  and  the  uncouth,  bare-limbed  travellers  who 
are  enjoying  rest  and  refreshment  in  the  little  wayside  inn 
no  doubt  have  paid  tribute  to  the  flowering  trees  and  maybe 
the  hostess,  with  her  baby  shyly  peeping  from  the  folds  of 
her  blue  kimono,  will  bring  the  tea  in  a tiny  Banko  pot 
where,  half  concealed  amid  the  flowering  plum  branches 
which  decorate  it,  are  picSture  letters  assuring  the  traveller 
that  joy  shall  blossom  in  his  heart,  like  the  plum  flowers  in 
the  first  day  of  Spring. 

Mariko  is  close  to  the  bay  and  a few  turns  more  will 
bring  the  fisherman,  who  may  have  just  disposed  of  the  fish 
we  see  hanging  at  the  entrance  to  the  inn,  within  view  of 
the  water.  The  background  flushed  with  pink,  shading  into 
a deeper  tone  skywards,  is  merely  a pretty  convention,  en- 
hancing the  suggestion  of  Spring. 

In  the  various  sets  of  the  Tokaido,  Nihon  Bashi,  the 
famous  bridge  at  Yedo,  from  which  in  olden  time  all  dis- 
tances in  the  empire  were  measured,  marks  the  commence- 
ment of  the  route.  Like  the  old  saying,*’ All  roads  lead  to 
Rome,”  in  Japan  the  bourne  of  the  pilgrim  is  the  Western 
Capital,  Kyoto,  that  sacred  heart  of  Japan  where  for  many 
centuries  the  emperors  lived  in  seclusion-sanc5tified  pup- 
pets-almost  as  passive  as  Buddhist  divinities.  Clad  in 
cumbersome  ceremonial  garments,  which  enhanced  this 
aspedt  of  sacred  immobility,  they  worshipped  their  imperial 
ancestors,  feeling  themselves  mysteriously  united  with  the 
spirits  of  the  past,  a devotion  partly  egoistic;  for  they  knew 
that  they,  too,  participated  in  this  sacred  symbolism,  fore- 
most of  the  occult  mysteries  of  Shinto. 


[66] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

In  ”The  Sixty-nine  Stations  of  the  Kisokaido”  or  inland 
road  running  through  the  centre  of  the  islsgnd  between  Notes  Upon 
Yedo  and  Kyoto,  Hiroshige  collaborated  with  Keisai  Yei-  Hiroshige’s 
sen.  Twenty -three  of  the  plates  in  this  series  are  by  the  Masterpieces 
latter  artist.  The  work  was  published  by  Takeuchi  Hoyeido, 
the  publisher  of  the  standard  Tokaido,  and  Ise  Iri-Kinjudo. 

We  have  shown  Miyanokoshi  Station  as  an  example  of  the 
finest  pic5lure  of  mist  and  moonlight  of  any  known  print. 

Only  an  artist-poet  could  thus  indelibly  fix  the  evanescent 
scene.  This  plate  is  signed  Hiroshige  and  Ichiryusai  is  given 
in  the  seal. 

*’Roku-ju  Yo  Shu  Meisho  Dzu  Kwai*^  (Views  of  the  Sixty 
Odd  Provinces)  is  a series  of  full-sized  vertical  plates  which 
were  brought  out  in  a double-opening  album,  as  were  also 
the  Tokaido  and  Kisokaido  sets,  the  "Hundred  Views"  and 
others.  This  work  is  dated  ”Ansei,  3,  Dragon,  Autumn, 

1856,”  with  seal-date  "Dragon,  9;"  the  publisher,  Koshimu- 
raya  Heisuke. 

The  "Kyoto  Meisho"  (Celebrated  Views  of  Kyoto)  is  a 
set  of  ten  prints  in  lateral  form,  signed  Hiroshige,  with  the 
stamp  of  the  publisher-on  some,  Kawaguchi;  on  others, 

Yeisendo.  One  of  the  most  charming  of  these  shows  us 
Kiyomidzu  Temple  standing  high  on  a hillside,  partly  hidden 
by  cherry  blossoms  and  sombre  trees  outlining  the  hill 
against  blue  and  golden  clouds;  in  the  foreground  a tea- 
house, the  balcony  decorated  with  lanterns. 

The  "Yedo  Hiak’kei"  (Hundred  Views  of  Yedo)  was 
issued  by  the  publisher,  Uwoya  Teikichiji,  in  1858-9.  Fol- 
lowing the  full  title  of  the  artist  on  the  title-page  is  the 
phrase  "Issei  Itto"  (the  greatest  of  his  age).  The  ^Hundred 
Views  of  Yedo”  have  not  the  grace  and  delicacy  that  we 
find  in  the  earlier  work  by  the  master,  and  the  introduction 
of  cheap  pigments,  deplored  by  the  artist,  with  the  haste  in 
production  caused  by  his  immense  popularity,  led  to  a 

[67] 


Notes  Upon 
Hiroshige’s 
Masterpieces 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

deterioration  in  colouring  and  finish*  Yet  the  boldness,  in- 
genuity and  impressionism  of  these  designs  startled  the 
artists  of  Europe.  His  studies  of  Yedo  opened  the  eyes  of 
Parisian  students  to  oriental  methods,  and  emphasized  the 
charm  of  Impressionism.  Hiroshige,  perhaps  more  than  any 
other  disciple  of  his  school,  was  the  exponent  of  the  funda- 
mental do(5trine  of  Japanese  art,  "the  expression  of  the 
inward  spirit  through  rhythm." 

An  example  from  the  ”Yedo  Hiak’kei”  is  ”The  Eagle." 
We  feel  the  rush  of  the  great  wings  which  frame  the  distant 
range,  the  familiar  outline  etched  in  a steel-blue  sky,  snow- 
flecked;  surely  a grand  study  in  Impressionism. 

The  "Hundred  Views"  give  us  the  story  of  the  daily  life 
of  the  people  in  and  about  the  Capital.  We  see  old  moated 
Yedo  under  every  conceivable  aspedt  and  in  all  seasons  of 
the  year.  The  life  of  the  people  is  made  manifest:  Sweet 
children  of  nature  who  love  the  unsullied  snow,  hating  to 
mar  its  purity;  who  hang  poems  upon  the  boughs  of  flower- 
ing cherry  trees;  who  apostrophize  the  shadow  of  the  pines 
cast  upon  the  fusuma,  the  semi-transparent  paper  screens 
that  take  the  place  of  windows  in  Japan;  idyllic  lovers  of 
flowers,  feasting  their  souls  with  lotus  blossoms  that  flush 
the  moats  with  pink  and  white  glory;  making  festival  for 
the  wistaria  blossoms  and  watching  in  Autumn  the  dance 
of  the  whirling  maple  leaves.  In  Chrysanthemum  time  the 
whole  nation  makes  holiday. 

"In  the  third  month,"  M.  de  Goncourt  tells  us, "when  the 
cherry  buds  begin  to  show,  the  trees  are  taken  up  and 
planted  on  each  side  of  the  ^Middle  Street*  (of  the  Yoshi- 
wara)  so  that  it  resembles  an  alley  in  the  park  more  than 
the  streets  of  a city.  And  through  the  glades  of  this  im- 
promptu forest  coming  and  going  in  endless  procession  are 
beautiful  figures,  the  great  courtesans  with  their  attendants, 
exquisitely  dressed  young  girls.  Hardly  can  they  force  their 

[68] 


To  the  Falling  Cherry 
Blossoms  in  the  Woods  of 
Sui  Shin,  by  the  Sumida 
”Rakkwa  eda  ni 
Kaeru  to  mireba 
Kocho  kana” 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


way  through  the  crowd  gathered  to  View  them,  young  and 
old.  How  charming  is  the  background  where,  through  the  Upon 

pink  snow  of  the  cherry  blossoms,  we  catch  the  angles  of  Hiroshige’s 
roofs,  seeming  to  smile  too,  in  unison  with  the  coquettish  Masterpieces 
little  beauties  below.” 

Entrancing  is  the  night  scene  on  the  Sumida  River  at 
this  season.  The  river  is  crowded  with  craft  of  all  kinds, 
notably  house-boats  decorated  with  gay,  fluttering  lanterns. 

Gliding  down  the  stream  they  come,  the  gay  laughter  of  the 
geisha  mingling  with  the  tinkling  samisen,  its  strange  syn- 
copated rhythm  vibrating  to  the  pulse  of  oriental  night. 

Fireworks  flare  into  the  upper  darkness  and  fall  in  flowery 
clusters,  and  always  the  strange  singsong  of  the  boatmen 
warily  steering  their  course  through  the  jam. 

The  illustration  is  named  ”Sumidagawa  Sui  Shin  no 
Mori”  (Woods  of  Sui  Shin),  near  the  bank  of  the  Sumida. 

No  festival  day  and,  perhaps,  all  the  dearer  for  wandering 
”lonely  as  a cloud,”  we  may  gaze  upon  the  peaceful  river 
and  the  overhanging  cherry  boughs,  which  later  shall  ”flash 
upon  that  inward  eye  which  is  the  bliss  of  solitude.”  This 
print  is  seal-dated  ”Dragon,  8,”  1856. 

Another  illustration,  entitled  ”Ohashi  no  Yudachi,”  shows 
us  a sudden  thunderstorm  at  the  Ohashi,  or  big  bridge.  We 
see  the  torrential  rain  that  Hiroshige  loved  and  which  he 
compelled  with  his  strange  but  effecStive  convention  of  black 
criss-cross  lines.  It  is  the  most  beautiful  rain  scene  of  the 
set,  with  its  sage-green  river  deepening  into  amethyst  be- 
neath the  gray-black  columns  of  the  bridge;  the  blurred 
trees  lining  the  river  s brink  barely  outlined  against  the 
steely  sky.  The  thunderstorm  has  burst  upon  the  coolies 
and  the  women,  huddling  beneath  the  umbrella  half-furled 
against  the  stormy  gusts,  are  flying  for  shelter,  whilst  the 
man  on  the  raft  must  have  all  he  can  do  steering  single- 
handed  against  the  swift  current. 

[69] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

The  last  work  of  the  master  was  the  ’’Fuji  San  ju  Rok’- 
NotesUpon  (Thirty-six  Views  of  Fuji).  The  plates  are  seal-dated 
Hiroshige’s  ”Horse,  4,”  1 858.  The  title  page  is  seal-dated  ”Ram,  6,”  1 859; 

Masterpieces  publisher,  Tsutaya.  After  the  list  of  contents  is  ”Sho-dai 
Ryusai  Hiroshige  O-i;”  that  is,”First  Hiroshige-old  man  left, 
or  relic  of.”  The  preface  states  that  the  plates  were  carefully 
published  as  an  ’’offering  of  sincere  respedt  to  my  deceased 
friend.”  The  writer  adds  that  ’’Hiroshige  wished  to  stop 
using  his  brush  and,  alas,  his  wish  came  true,  for  he  died 
last  year.”  The  desire  of  Hiroshige,  expressed  in  his  fare- 
well sonnet,  that  he  might  view  the  beauties  of  the  Buddhist 
Heaven,  ’’perchance  limn  them  too,”  recalls  a passage  by 
Lafcadio  Hearn,  in  which  he  portrays  the  land  of  Horai. 

To  those  who  watch  and  wait  for  the  sun’s  coming,  a 
cloud  convention  of  the  Japanese  may  often  be  noticed- 
parallel  streaks  of  flame  athwart  the  horizon  or  long  pennons 
of  yellow  light  heralding  the  sun’s  triumphant  progress.  A 
significance  is  attached  to  these  cloud  effedts-they  symbol- 
ize a dreamland  of  beauty,  a mist  of  colours  which  Faith 
has  crystallized  into  an  ethereal  world;  where  Love  is  syn- 
onymous with  Life;  and  where  all  evil,  shame  and  calumny 
are  banished  forever.  This  is  Horai  which  Lafcadio  painted 
for  us  in  letters  of  light. 

’’Because  in  Horai  there  is  no  knowledge  of  evil,  the 
hearts  of  the  people  never  grow  old;  and,  by  reason  of  be- 
ing always  young  in  heart,  the  people  of  Horai  smile  from 
birth  until  death,  except  when  the  Gods  send  sorrow  among 
them.  All  folk  in  Horai  love  and  trust  each  other-and  the 
speech  of  the  women  is  like  bird  song,  because  the  hearts  of 
them  are  as  light  as  the  souls  of  birds;  * * and  the  swaying 
of  the  sleeves  of  the  maidens  at  play  seems  a flutter  of  wide, 
soft  wings.  In  Horai  nothing  is  hidden  but  grief,  because 
there  is  no  reason  for  shame.  * * Evil  winds  from  the 
West  are  blowing  over  Horai,  and  the  magical  atmosphere 

[70] 


1 

'I 


« 

THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

is  shrinking  away  before  them.  It  lingers  now  only  in  patches 
like  those  long,  bright  bands  of  cloud  that  trail  across  the 
landscapes  of  Japanese  painters.” 

The  longing  of  Hokusai,  praying  Heaven  upon  his  death^ 
bed  to  grant  him  five  more  years  of  life  in  which  to  follow 
art,  was  ”that  his  soul,  turned  wilho*-the-wisp,  might  come 
and  go  over  the  summer  fields;”  and  those  who  oppose  the 
gospel  of  stagnation  may  conceive  the  immortal  genius  of 
the  artist  ever  searching  the  universe  for  fresh  secrets  of 
vital  art.  So  too,  in  fancy,  we  may  imagine  the  spirit  of  the 
Apostle  of  Impressionism  winging  its  way  from  the  monas- 
tery to  the  glad  land  of  Horai  and,  in  company  with  the  old 
painter-monks  who  went  before  him,  glorying  in  surpassing 
sunsets-seeking  in  those  elysian  fields  the  springs  of  beauty 
in  the  chaliced  flowers  of  Art;  Art  that  is  one  with  Nature 
and  Nature’s  God,  the  Omnipotent  Creator  of  the  Universe. 


Notes  Upon 

Hiroshige’s 

Masterpieces 


[71] 


APPENDIX 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


Signatures 

Of  Hiroshige , and  Shigenobu — Publishers*  Seals: 

1— (a)  Ichi,  (b)  yu,  (c)  sai,  (d)  Hiro,  (e)  shige,  (f)  gwa.  2— (a)  Shige,  (b) 
nobu,  (c)aratamete,(d,  e)  ni  sei,  (f)  Hiro,  (g) shige,  (h)  gwa.  3—(a)  Shige, 

(b)  nobu,  (c)  gwa.  4— Hiroshige’s  early  signature:  (a)  Hiro,  (b)  shige, 

(c)  gwa.  5— Seal  of  Hoyeido  Takeuchi,  on  the  cover  of  Tokaido  set. 
6— (a)  Hiro,  (b)  shige,  (c)  fude.  7 — Monogram  seal,  Takeuchi,  (Take  in 
a circle).  8 — Seal  of  the  Publisher,  Tsutaya. 

[75] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

-J- 


The  Twelve  Zodiacal  Characters 

Which  appear  in  the  Cycle  Ciphers 


Ordinary  Form  Seal  Form 

1— (a)  Nezumi  (Rat)  (h»  c). 

3-~(a)  Tora  (Tiger)  (b,  c). 

5 — (a)  Tatsu  (Dragon)  (b,  c). 

7-(a)  Uma  (Horse)  (b.  c). 


Ordinal^  Form 
2— (a)  Ushi  (Cow) 
4— (a)  Usagi  (Hare) 
6— (a)  Mi  (Snake) 
8— (a)  Hitsuji  (Ram) 


Seal  Form 
(b,  c). 
(b,  c). 
(b.c). 
(b.c). 


[76] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


Ordinarv  Form  Seal  Form 

9— (a)  Saru  (Monkey)  (b,  c). 

1 1 —(a)  Inu  (Dog)  c). 

13— (a)  Uru  (Intercalary). 

13—  (b)  Abbreviated  Form. 

14—  (c)  Sei  (Ansei)  Seal,  Dog,  3. 

1 5—  Hiroshige*s  Diamond  Seal. 


Ordinary  Form  Seal  Form 

10— (a)  Tori  (Cock)  (b,  c). 

12— (a)  1 (Boar)  (b,  c). 

14— (a)  Sei  (Ansei)  Seal. 

14 — (b)  Date-Seal,  Snake,  2; 

(1857,  second  month). 

1 6 — Hiroshige's  Seal,  Ichi  Ryu  Sai. 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


$■ 

i 

% 

1 

t 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

■4i 

£ 

I 

f 

f 

6 

7 

8 

S . 

9 

10 

Facsimiles 

Of  the  Signatures  of  the  most  famous  Artists  of  Ukiyo-ye: 

' 1— -Hishikawa  Moronobu,  1643- 1711-13.  2— Okumura  Masanobu,  1 690- 1 720. 
3— Suzuki  Harunobu,  1747-1818.  4— Koriusai,  1760.  5— Shunsho,  died 
1792.  6— htsu  (Hokusai),  1760-1849.  7— Hokusai,  1760-1849.  8— Gakio 
Rojin  Manji  (Hokusai),  1760-1849.  9-Hok*kei.  1780-1856-9.  lO-Ki- 

yonaga,  died  1814. 


[78] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


II  12  13  14  . 15 


16  17  18  19 


1 1 —Utamaro,  1 754- 1 806.  1 2 — T oyokuni,  1 768- 1 825.  1 3—Kikugawa  Y ei- 
zan,  flourished  1810-30.  14— Kunisada,  1785-1864.  15— Yeishi,  flourished 
1754-1805.  16-Keisai  Yeisen,  1790-1848.  1 7-Kuniyoshi,  1800-1861.  16- 
Hiroshige,  1797-1858.  19-Hiroshige,  1797-1858. 

[79] 


THE  HER  1 TAG E 6 F H I RO SH I GE 


AKITSU 

EROM  time  immemorial  the  Japanese  have  loved  to  observe 
the  habits  of  insedts  and,  of  all  ephemera  in  Japan,  the 
dragon-fly  is  most  ubiquitous.  Noting  the  configuration  of 
the  province  of  Yamato,  the  Emperor  Jimmu  compared  it 
to  a dragon-fly,  hence  Akitsu-shima  is  one  of  the  names 
given  to  the  Empire.  Whistler  took  for  his  cartouche  the 
butterfly  and  we  choose  for  Hiroshige  (the  artist  from  whom  he  imbibed 
the  Oriental  impulse  shown  in  his  symphonies  and  nocturnes)  the  symbol 
of  the  dragon-fly.  The  imagery  of  Lafcadio  Hearn  in  his  portrayal  of  the 
insedt  suggests  a comparison  with  the  master’s  impressionistic  sketches 
of  his  country— "flashes  of  colour  continually  intercrossing  like  a weaving 
of  intermiiiable  enchantment  over  the  face  of  the  land.” 

The  old  brocade  designers  of  Kyoto  caught  in  their  looms  the  sheen 
of  the  humming-bird’s  breast  or  the  butterfly’s  wing,  and  the  Ukiyo-ye 
print  was  named  "brocade  pidture."  The  poems  upon  the  /om^o— the  mod- 
ern term  for  dragon-fly— expressed  in  a few  ideographs,  Lafcadio  declared 
could  be  delightfully  imaged  with  a few  strokes  of  the  brush  into  tiny 
colour-prints.  An  additional  significaAce  in  the  comparison  of  the  dragon- 
fly with  our  artist  is  noted,  for  the  Japanese  observed  that  it  loved  to 
alight  upon  common  objedts— a water-bucket  or  a stone.  "Oh,  the  dragon- 
fly; heedless  of  the  flowers,  it  perches  upon  a stone,"  says  one  of  the 
hokk^  (poems).  The  print  artists  (painters  of  the  floating  world,  loving 
the  drama  of  everyday  life)  after  artistic  flights  did  not  they,  too,  light 
upon  a water-bucket? 

Mr.  Happer,  commenting  upon  Hiroshige’s  early  brush  name,  Ichi 
yu  sai  (one  or  lone;  obscure  room  or  studio),  remarks:  "Does  the  early 
name  contain  a hint  of  obscurity?  Then,  when  he  felt  worthy  to  take 
the  prenomen  of  his  teacher  to  'stand'  alone,  he  took  the  charadter  n;u, 
to  stand  upright  (Ichi  ryu  sai);  another  interpretation  of  ryu  being  dragon." 
The  final  brush  name,  Hiro-shige,  means  "widespread-importance."  The 
dragon-fly  has  spread  his  wings  I 

^^Kurenai  no 
Kagero  hashiru 
Tomho  kanal 

"Like  a fleeting  of  crimson  gossamer  threads,  the  flashing 
of  the  dragon-flies." 


[80] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Anderson,  William:  Pidtorial  Arts  of  Japan.  (London;  Sampson  Low, 
1886). 

Anderson,  William:  Japanese  Wood  Engravings;  Their  History,  Tech- 
nique and  Charadteristics.  (London;  Portfolio,  1895). 

Bing,  S.:  Artistic  Japan.  Compiled  by  S.  Bing,  with  the  assistance  of 
Wm.  Anderson,  T.  Hayashi,  E.  de  Goncourt  and  others.  (New  York; 
Brentano’s). 

Bowie,  H.  P.t  On  the  Laws  of  Japanese  Painting.  (San  Francisco;  Paul 
Elder  & Company,  1912). 

Brinckmann,  Justus:  Kunst  und  Handwerk  in  Japan.  Vol.  I.  (Berlin). 
Brinkley,  Frank:  The  Art  of  Japan.  (Boston). 

Fenollosa,  Ernest  Francisco:  An  Outline  of  the  History  of  Ukiyo-ye. 
(Tokyo;  Kobayashi). 

Fenollosa,  Ernest  F.:  The  Masters  of  Ukiyo-ye. 

Fenollosa,  Mary  McNeil:  Hiroshige,  the  Artist  of  Mist,  Snow  and  Rain. 
(San  Francisco;  1901). 

Goncourt,  Edmond,  de:  Outamaro;  le  Peintre  desMaisons  Vertes.  (Paris). 
Gonse,  Louis:  L*Art  Japonais.  (Paris;  A.  Qyartin,  1883)1 
Happer,  John  Stewart:  Two  Illustrated  Catalogues  of  the  Happer  Collec- 
tion, With  Prefaces  by  Arthur  Morrison  and  J.  S.  Happer.  (London; 
Dryden  Press). 

Hartman,  Sadakichi:  Japanese  Art.  (Boston). 

Hayashi,  T.;  Catalogue  of  the  Hayashi  Collection,  With  Illustrations. 
(Paris,  1902). 

Holmes,  C.  J.:  Hokusai.  (London;  Longmans,  Green  & Co.,  1901). 
Huish,  Marcus  B.:  Japan  and  Its  Art.  (London). 

Jarves,  James  Jackson:  A Glimpse  of  the  Art  of  Japan.  (New  York;  1875). 
Morrison,  Arthur:  The  Painters  of  Japan.  (London;  Monthly  Review). 
Okakura,  Kakuzo:  Ideals  of  the  East,  With  Special  Reference  to  the  Arts 
of  Japan.  (London,  1903). 

Okakura,  Kakuzo:  Essays  on  Japanese  Art,  in  "Japan,"  edited  by  F.  Brink- 
ley.  Also,  Japanese  Pictorial  Art,  in  "Japan  and  China,"  by  F.  Brink- 
ley.  (Boston  and  Tokyo;  J.  Millet  Company). 

Pepper,  Charles  Hovey:  Japanese  Prints.  (Boston;  Walter  Kimball  & Co.). 
Perzynski,  Friedrich:  Der  Japanische  Farbenholzschnitt.  (Berlin). 

[81] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 

Revon,  Michel:  Etude  sur  Hok*sai.  (Paris,  1896). 

Satow,  Ernest:  On  the  Early  History  of  Printing  in  Japan.  (In  Trans- 
a(5tions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan). 

Seidlitz,  W.  von:  A History  of  Japanese  Colour-Prints;  Translated.  (Phil- 
adelphia and  London). 

Strange,  Edward  F.:  Japanese  Illustration.  (London;  1897). 

Strange,  E.  F.:  Colour-Prints  of  Japan.  (Langham  Series  of  Art  Mono- 
graphs). (New  York;  Charles  Scribner’s  Sons,  1904). 


[82] 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


INDEX 

Akika,  45. 

Ansei.  35,  36,  37,  39,55. 
Ashikaga,  12,  17,  18. 

Bushido,  4 

Celestial  Stems,  35. 
Chiushingura,  63. 

Cho  Densu,  13,  54. 
Choshun,  Miyagawa,  2 3. 

Danjuro,  23. 

Edmonds,  W.  H.,  59. 

Fude,  42. 

Fuji  mi  Hiak’kei,  56. 
Fuji  San-ju  Rok’kei,  70. 
Fujiwara,  18. 

Genji  Monogatari,  3,  8. 
Goncourt,  £.  de,  11,  18, 
27,68. 

Goshin,  26. 

Gosotei,  24. 

Gwa,  42, 

Gyo,  49. 

Hakkei,  64. 

Han-ya,  42. 

Harunobu  Suzuki,  21, 
23,  24. 

Hearn,  Lafcadio,  70,  75. 
Hideyoshi,  17. 

Hitsu,  42. 

Hokusai,  3, 23,  34,  41, 
51,  61,  62. 

Horai,  45,  47,  70. 

[83] 


Hori-ya,  42. 

Hoyeido,  65. 

Ichi  ryusai,  32. 

Ichi  yu  sai,  32. 
Intercalary,  55. 

Itcho,  16,21,22. 
lyeasu,  17. 

Jaku  Rin  Do,  61. 
Jimmu,  75. 

Josetsu,  12,  13,  14. 

Kaei,  35,  48.  49. 
Kanazawa  Hakkei,  64. 
Kano,  5,  12,  18,  26. 
Kasuga,  16. 

Katatshika,  16. 

Kenzan,  22. 

Kipling,  10. 

Kitao,  24. 

Kiyonaga,  27. 
Kiyonobu,  23. 

Kobo  Daishi,  7. 

Korin,  5,  17, 18,  22. 
Koriusai,  24. 

Koyetsu,  17. 

Kunisada,  24,  36. 

Kyoto,  48. 

Lowell,  Percival,  19. 

Makimono,  25. 

Maruzei,  64,  65. 
Masanobu,  Kano,  14, 18. 
Matahei,  Iwasa,  20,  21, 
54. 

Meisho  Yedo  Hiak’kei, 
36,  54. 


Mitsunobu,  13. 

Miyage,  54. 

Moronobu,  Hishikawa, 

20,21. 

Motomitsu,  6. 
Motonobu,  Kano,  14, 15, 
18. 

Nara,  3,  18. 

Nengo,  35. 

Nishiki-ye,  20,  30. 
Noguchi,  Yone,  27,  53. 
Notan,  30. 

Okakura,  Kakuzo,  5,  63. 
Oky  o.  Mar  uyama,  25,26. 
Omi  Hakkei,  50,  64. 
Orihon,  25. 

Osaka,  48. 

Otsu-ye,  20. 

Revon,  Michel,  3. 
Ruskin,  13. 

Ryukatei,  Tanekadzu, 
48,  51. 

Sakya-Mouni,  4. 

Sanoki,  65. 

Sesson,  18. 

Settan,  25. 

Shigenaga,  23. 
Shigenobu,  34,  39. 
Shijo,  5,  26. 

Shiubun,  13. 

Shomotsu,  25. 

Shorindo,  48. 

Shun  Chosai,  25. 
Shunsho,  23,  24. 
Shunsui,  23. 


THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 


So.  48,  49. 

Sotatsu.  17. 

Sukenobu,  25. 

Takeuchi  Hoyeido,  41, 
67. 

Tanyu,  19,  26. 

Torii,  22. 

Tosa,5,ll,13,l7,18,5l. 
Toto,  48. 

Toyoharu,  24,  26,  36. 
Toyohiro,  24,  32. 


Toyokuni,  24, 28,  32,  36. 
Tsuenobu,  26. 
Tsunemasa,  8. 
Tsunetaka,  11,  18. 
Tsutaya,  64,  70. 

Utagawa,  24. 

Utamaro,  13,  28. 

Whistler,  28,  62. 


Yeisen,  Keisai,  67. 
Yeishi,  27. 
Yeitoku,  17. 
Yeizan,  28. 
Yeshinn,  20. 
Yoritomo,  9,  63. 
Yoshimasa,  11. 
Yoshimitsu,  11. 
Yoshitsune,  62. 


Yamato,  6.  Zodiac,  35. 

Yedo  Hiak’kei,  33,  76. 


184] 


SAYONARA-SO  ENDS  THE  HERITAGE  OF  HIROSHIGE 
BY  DORA  AMSDEN  AND  JOHN  STEWART  HAPPER  . 
PUBLISHEDBYPAULELDERc^COMPANYANDPRINTED 
FOR  THEM  BY  THEIR  TOMOYEl  PRESS  IN  THE  CITY  OF 
SAN  FRANCISCO  . THE  TYPOGRAPHY  DESIGNED  AND 
PRODUCED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  JOHN  SWART, 
THE  TYPE  HAND-SET  BY  WILLIAM  ALBERT  JOHNS. 
KI  NO  E.  NE  (YEAR  OF  THE  RAT)  MEIjl  FORTY-FIVE. 


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